UNDERSTANDING THE CARTOON CRISIS
See Assimilation
EU Drafts 'Non-Emotive' Terror
Dictionary
BRUSSELS, (UPI) -- The European Union is drawing up a lexicon of politically
correct language to use when describing terrorists who claim to act in the
name of Islam. The idea was first aired in the EU's counter-terrorism strategy, which was
adopted by interior ministers in December. As part of its efforts to combat
radicalization and terrorist recruitment, the paper said the Union's 25 member
states have to do more to "correct unfair or inaccurate perceptions of Islam
and Muslims." It also called on EU officials to draft a "non-emotive lexicon
for discussing the issues in order to avoid linking Islam to terrorism." Diplomats in Brussels are currently working on the handbook, which is
expected to be adopted by ministers in June. The issue of how to discuss the link between radical Islamist groups and
terrorism has shot to the top of the political agenda since the riots by
immigrant offspring in French suburbs last November and the publication of
caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in European newspapers earlier this year.
The decision to reprint images of the prophet, which is outlawed by Islam, was
denounced as a provocation by Muslim leaders and more than 50 demonstrators
died in violent clashes across the Islamic world. "There is a simplistic portrayal in the Western media of Muslims as
fanatics, terrorists and extremists," says Shada Islam, Brussels correspondent
for a number of Asian and Middle East papers. "There is this picture of Muslim
women as all tied to the kitchen sink, wearing hijabs (veils) and totally
dominated by men. Every single TV program on Islam states starts with a shot
of camels in the desert and every radio show begins with the Muezzin (call to
prayer.) The finer points of what Islam is about and the fact that there is an
internal struggle going on within the religion are being ignored." Arzu Donmezer, a political assistant of Turkish origin in the European
Parliament and a graduate in Islamic sciences, agrees that discrimination
against Muslims has intensified since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
against the United States. "When you say you are a Muslim, people take a step
back and ask if you know any terrorists. For many Europeans, being a Muslim is
the same as being a terrorist -- which means they are putting people like me
in the same box as radical Islamists. If I'm being pushed away by the very
people I want to belong to, where am I supposed to go?" EU officials admit that there is a great deal of ignorance about Islam.
"This is all part of Western society getting to know the Islamic religion a
bit better," says Friso Roscam Abbing, a spokesman for European Commission
Vice-President Franco Frattini. For example, the term 'jihad,' which most
Europeans and Americans associate with the violent armed struggle against
Western "infidels," has largely positive connotations in the Muslim world,
where the term means overcoming a personal struggle. "We want to avoid emotional wording which could hurt people or make a
direct link between certain religions and terrorism," said one EU official,
speaking on condition of anonymity. "Giving the impression that one community
or one religion is under the control of terrorists is no way to fight
terrorism." The guidelines, which will be non-binding and aimed at public officials
rather than journalists, are likely to advise against using the term "Islamic
terrorism." Roscam Abbing said his EU commissioner, who is the rough
equivalent of the U.S. homeland security chief, prefers to talk about "those
who have an abusive interpretation of Islam," rather than Islamists or Muslim
fundamentalists. "The idea is not to use the terms Islam and Muslim in
connection to something negative," added the spokesman. The initiative was welcomed by Islam, the Brussels-based journalist, who
notes that people never refer to the IRA or ETA as Christian terrorist groups.
"Words are not just empty shells; they carry cultural weight. For example,
when EU ministers use the same vocabulary to talk about immigrants, asylum
seekers and terrorists, they create the impression that if you're an immigrant
or asylum seeker then obviously you are a terrorist. So I think a certain
amount of political correctness is necessary when talking about such explosive
and sensitive issues. If anything can help defuse the current tensions, why
not?" By David Rennie BRUSSELS -- European governments should shun the phrase "Islamic terrorism"
in favor of "terrorists who abusively invoke Islam," say guidelines from EU
officials. United Nations:
Observing that the recent crisis over caricatures of Prophet Mohammad
reflected a trend towards extremism in
Islamic and Western societies, U N Secretary General Kofi Annan
has advocated increased emphasis on freedoms of
worship and speech to
counter the phenomenon.
Gareth Harding Apr 13, 2006
EU draft calls to reject 'Islamic terrorism' term
LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH
Published April 12, 2006
Backed by diplomats and civil servants from the 25 members of the European
Union, the officials are drafting a "non-emotive lexicon for discussing
radicalization" to be submitted to British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other
leaders in June.
The Brussels officials hope the new lexicon, which would not be legally
binding, would be adopted by governments and other EU institutions, such as
the European Commission and European Parliament.
An EU official said: "The basic idea behind it is to avoid the use of
improper words that would cause frustration among Muslims and increase the
risk of radicalization."
Along with civil servants from the British Home Office, the officials have
reviewed the effect of terms such as Islamist, fundamentalist and jihad when
describing acts of terrorism and murder.
"Jihad means something for you and me; it means something else for a
Muslim," said EU officials at a Berlin conference on radicalization. "Jihad is
a perfectly positive concept of trying to fight evil within yourself."
Though British officials have been involved in drawing up the lexicon,
Whitehall sources indicated that the government was unlikely to adopt it
wholesale or heed any call to ban the term "Islamic terrorist."
The lexicon is seen in London as more likely to be of use to continental
governments with limited exposure to Muslims. A Home Office spokesman said:
"We believe there is a balance to be struck between raising awareness of the
impact that language can have and not letting extremism go unchallenged."
The lexicon is being discussed only at a "working group level" but has the
support of Gijs de Vries, the EU counterterrorism coordinator.
Annan stresses on freedoms of speech and worship
"To counter it, we must all speak up for freedom of worship and for freedom of
speech," Annan told the
meeting of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) in Istanbul today in a message delivered by
Mohamed Sahnoun, his special adviser on Africa.
He also affirmed the importance of basic freedoms as well as the need for
sensitivity towards other cultures.
To stop extremism and boost inter-cultural relations, he renewed his appeal
for dialogue between civilizations and cultural sensitivity.
"We must
stress that rights carry with them an inherent responsibility,
and should not be used to degrade, humiliate or insult any group or
individual," he said.
Annan also talked about the sectarian rifts in Iraq, economic progress in
Afghanistan and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
"The OIC, as the leading multilateral Islamic organization, has a key role to
play in addressing these and other challenges," Annan said.
April 13, 2006
www.newkerala.com
Danish Muslims sue newspaper that printed prophet cartoons
3/30/2006 www.usatoday.com
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday, two weeks after Denmark's top prosecutor declined to press criminal charges, saying the drawings that sparked a firestorm in the Muslim world did not violate laws against racism or blasphemy.
Michael Christiani Havemann, a lawyer representing the Muslim groups, said lawsuit sought $16,100 in damages from Jyllands-Posten Editor in Chief Carsten Juste and Culture Editor Flemming Rose, who supervised the cartoon project.
"We're seeking judgment for both the text and the drawings which were gratuitously defamatory and injurious," Havemann said.
The lawsuit was filed in the western city of Aarhus, where Jyllands-Posten is based.
The newspaper published the 12 cartoons on Sept. 30, saying it was challenging self-censorship among artists afraid to offend Islam. The drawings were later reprinted in other Western media, mostly in Europe, in the name of free speech and news value.
The Danish newspaper apologized for offending Muslims after violent protests erupted throughout the Islamic world, but stood by its decision to print the drawings, citing freedom of speech.
OIC calls to fight racial prejudice
Habib Shaikh Khaleej Times - Dubai,United Arab Emirates 22 March 2006JEDDAH — The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) has urged the international community to strengthen cooperation to fight racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances on the bases of culture, religion, nationality, race or language.
It called for the effective implementation of all international treaties and instruments, which forbid such policies in order to ensure the prevalence of human rights, greater harmony and tolerance. In a statement issued on the 40th anniversary of the proclamation of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which fell on Monday, the OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanogul said the Organisation calls upon the international community to intensify their efforts to promote understanding between different civilisations and cultures.
He said there should be joint efforts to counter attempts at cultural and racial domination.
The secretary general lamented that despite 40 years of relentless efforts exerted by the international community to combat the scourge of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances were gaining ground. He added that contemporary forms and manifestations of racism were trying to gain moral, political or legal recognition through subtle means, under the guise of freedom of expression.
The blasphemous and derogatory cartoons in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten were a case in point.
EU, OIC urged to draft joint resolution on cartoons
March 11, 2006 SALZBURG, Austria (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy
chiefs urged the bloc on Friday to work with Islamic states on a joint U.N.
resolution to help ease tensions caused by a row over cartoons of the Prophet
Mohammad.
The call came as the head of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) criticised the EU for not doing enough to heal wounds with Muslims caused by the affair.
Controversy over the cartoons first published last year in a Danish newspaper and since reprinted in other European media sparked worldwide protests by Muslims who believe it is blasphemous to depict the Prophet. At least 50 people were killed in violent protests.
The 25 EU foreign ministers discussed ways of rebuilding trust with the Islamic world.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner suggested in a joint paper that the EU and the OIC could draft a joint resolution at the United Nations promoting religious tolerance.
The EU and the OIC previously presented two competing resolutions to the U.N. General Assembly, but EU countries voted against the OIC text because it focused too narrowly on discrimination against Islam, an EU official said.
Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller told reporters he was not sure EU and OIC countries could agree on a joint text.
“It may be true that a law cannot make a man love
me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and that’s pretty important”
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
Neo-Nazis threaten violence
Wednesday, 22 March, 2006 - La Repubblica
ROME: The World Cup in Germany is set to become a
battleground between fascists and Muslims, an Italian member of a new European
neo-Nazi movement warned yesterday.
In a statement published by Italian daily La Repubblica, the member of AS
Roma’s notorious hooligan group claims neo-Nazis across Europe met in Braunau
in Austria to plan attacks against supporters from Muslim countries during the
World Cup in Germany from June 9 to July 9.
“We are united. For the first time we are talking and planning together, with
the English, the Germans, the Dutch, the Spanish, everyone with the same
objective.
“At the World Cup there will be a massacre,” said the Italian.
“We will all be in Germany and there will be Turks, Algerians and Tunisians.
The Turks, we can’t stand them. In our country (Italy) there are not many, but
in Germany, there are many of those guys there. They are terrorists.
“We will attack them. They are all enemies that need to be eliminated, just
like the police.
“If we make the Roman greeting (the fascist salute) they put us in prison. We
will be tens of thousands. Nothing but the English are feared.”
– AFP
OIC envoys assured of steps against blasphemy
By Qudssia Akhlaque March 11, 2006
ISLAMABAD, March 10: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has assured OIC
ambassadors in Geneva that her Office was taking necessary steps to combat
defamation of religions, create a culture of tolerance, explore and elaborate
legal framework for respect of religions as well as freedom of expression to
address the situation created by the publication of blasphemous cartoons.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louis Arbour held out the assurance to a
delegation of 14 Muslim envoys who met her this week to express Islamic
world’s deep concerns on publication of defamatory caricatures in Danish
newspaper Jyllands Posten and their reprinting in several European newspapers,
the Foreign Office said on Friday.
The OIC ambassadors sought UN High Commissioner’s help to address the concerns
of Muslim countries to redress legal deficits in regard to respect for
religions and mobilize human rights machinery to stem recurrence of such
outrage, the Foreign Office said.
Ms Arbour’s view was that when freedom of expression hurt dignity and
religious sensitivities, as in the case of publication of cartoons, the
situation could not be addressed merely by laws. The viable course, she
maintained, was to effectively combat the trend and promote culture of
tolerance and sound political judgment.
The delegation, led by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Masood Khan, the
OIC coordinator on human rights and humanitarian issues in Geneva, proposed
that as the UN High Commissioner she take concrete measures such as sending a
fact-finding mission and asking the Special Rapporteurs to carry out legal
analysis of the questions surrounding the caricatures issue.
The OIC ambassadors also suggested hosting of dialogues to address
cross-cutting legal, political and cultural issues. They advocated
inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogues for promoting peace, harmony and
understanding.
The UN High Commissioner told the delegation that substantive efforts were
being made by her office to raise awareness in this regard through
publication, information campaigns, seminars and conferences.
The OIC envoys conveyed to the High Commissioner that the publication of the
caricature and their reprinting in the media could not be justified in the
name of freedom of expression. It was a deliberate act of provocation.
OIC criticises EU response to cartoons
Published: Saturday, 11 March, 2006, 10:44 AM Doha Time
LONDON: The leader of the world’s largest Muslim body yesterday criticised the European Union for its ‘unsatisfactory response’ to the furor over the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said that by simply regretting that Muslims found the cartoons offensive, EU foreign ministers had not gone far enough at a meeting in Brussels last week.
"We expected the EU to address the issue of cartoons in a more fair way," Ihsanoglu told a news conference in London.
"I must say that we are not satisfied with the result of last week’s meeting in Brussels. The conclusion published by the European Union fell short of our expectations." – AFP
Cartoon politics
Monday, March 27, 2006 Turkish Daily News
The controversy over the Danish caricatures of Prophet Mohammed, and the
perception of Islam that resurfaced in some European circles in the name of
freedom of expression, has turned into a global wave of violent protests
throughout the 'Muslim world.' Demonstrations turned into ransacking of
diplomatic missions and violent clashes with human casualties. However, there
was a parallel agenda of the protests besides religion per se, that is less
recognized by those who find it expedient to rely on the thesis of 'clash of
civilizations.'
DOĞU ERGİL
The controversy over the Danish caricatures of Prophet Mohammed, and the perception of Islam that resurfaced in some European circles in the name of freedom of expression, has turned into a global wave of violent protests throughout the “Muslim world.” Demonstrations turned into ransacking of diplomatic missions and violent clashes with human casualties. However, there was a parallel agenda of the protests besides religion per se, that is less recognized by those who find it expedient to rely on the thesis of “clash of civilizations.” This thesis foresees a bifurcated world where the civilized, progressive and affluent side of the world lives the way they do because they deserve it by way of their superiority. The remaining part of the world that is not civilized may live in its squalor, backwardness and tyranny of ignorance by their own choice, and because they also deserve it. The first world feels no responsibility for the second, and hence expends no effort to understand why its sentiments and view of the first does not match their naiveté and irresponsibility.
First of all, what is crudely called the “Muslim world” has been the hunting ground of Western colonialism and expansionism in the previous centuries that left behind a legacy of exploitation, impoverishment and a wounded psyche, at the core of which is resentment, humiliation and feeling of inferiority. This is an explosive mixture in that if the culprit or former oppressor does not extend its hand and heart in the post-colonial era to its former colonized subjects, and does not help to repair the damage done during many centuries of domination and humiliation, the national identities in the former colonies become nothing but renouncement of anything associated with their former colonizers. The West seems never to grasp this reality because it is a hard and bitter pill to swallow. Because of this, it becomes all the more difficult to understand the real reasons and local agendas that have aggravated this crisis, which fundamentally is a mechanism to vent the reservoir of pre-existing resentment towards the West.
The Egyptian demonstrators condemn the insolence of the West. With a strong group in parliament, the Muslim Brothers is a challenge to the secular government of Mr. Hosni Mubarak. Besides the West, they want to direct their protest against the regime they strive to replace, and the incumbent government in turn feels the need to show that they are also capable of playing on popular sentiments, so that there is no need for a more radical group to be in power. These internal tensions are easily channeled against a common target. The Iraqi demonstrators want the withdrawal of Danish troops, and Afghan tribesman that have links with the old (dis)order want NATO soldiers out of their country. What better excuse is there for these groups to express their political agenda in a public forum when there is so little legitimate opportunity to do so otherwise? Iran, Syria and the pro-Syrian Lebanese Sunnis are undoubtedly unhappy with Western pressure on them. They do not want to see Western dominance once again on their home soil. With the example American invasion of Iraq, which they see as a revival of western imperialism, anti-western and anti-American sentiment has reached boiling point.
Despite these facts, in most of the Western media the ongoing dispute has typically been treated as a further sign of the fanaticism of Muslims. But the tempest did not arise out of nowhere. First, it arose out of ignorance of the local context of these conflicts, which are mostly not about religion as much as they are about power struggles within Muslim societies. Secondly, religious nationalism exacerbated by the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq has raised suspicions that it can do the same all over the region. The ensuing turmoil that threatens almost every party in the Middle East and the Muslim World interprets this as an aggression to their being (identity, territory and sovereignty). It is not just about the cartoons.
After the cartoons were published on Sept. 30, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen refused to meet with ambassadors from Muslim countries and lectured Muslims on their need to tolerate the caricatures. This attitude was exactly what the Muslims (or anyone outside the Western political reality) abhorred: encroachment and disrespect of the liberty to define yourself rather than being defined by the imperial West. This is exactly the source of bitterness in their collective memory that is still remembered vividly in the form of Christian missionaries preaching to local people exactly how barbaric they thought the Muslim faith was. Or signs hanging on the doors of European clubs in India only a century ago that said, "Dogs and Indians not allowed." In short, the overly critical opinion of the Muslim crowds has little to do with piety and more to do with history and its lingering legacy.
The whole affair is a cost-free bandwagon on which everyone can jump on in search of greater legitimacy among Muslim publics. There is no downside in the Muslim world to defending Prophet Mohammed from Western insults. Pro-Western politicians can use it to burnish their nationalist image, while others use it to show how respectful they are to religion to cover their weaker flank against the religious political parties who are threatening their ruling positions.
If the conservative, Christian West shows no ability (or willingness) to respect conservative Muslims' need to value his or her own beliefs, the West will find itself less able to speak to the Muslim world, and less able to defend freedom of expression. What will be the end result? Clash of faiths and values started by those who dread it most!
UN High Commissioner conveyed concern at blasphemous cartoons
GENEVA, March 10 : A delegation of 14 OIC Ambassadors in Geneva met the High Commissioner to express Islamic world’s deep concerns on publication of defamatory caricatures in Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten and their reprinting in several European newspapers, Pakistani mission said.
The delegation was led by Ambassador Masood Khan, who is the OIC Coordinator on Human Rights and Humanitarian issues in Geneva.
The Ambassadors urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to help address the concerns of Muslim countries to redress legal deficits in regard to respect for religions, and mobilize human rights machinery to stem recurrence of such outrage. They said that such deliberate acts are disruptive and counter productive.
The OIC delegation told the High Commissioner that the caricatures had seriously hurt the sensibilities of Islamic nations and peoples all over the world. They emphasized that publication of the caricature and their reprinting in the media could not be justified in the name of freedom of expression. It was a deliberate act of provocation and not an act of negligence.
The delegation advised the High Commissioner, that in view of her leading role in human rights, concrete measures by her office would greatly contribute to promoting respect of religions and their prophets and in avoiding future recurrence of such defamatory acts.
They suggested that such measures may include sending a fact finding mission and asking the Special Rapporteurs to carry out legal analysis of the questions surrounding the caricatures issue.
The OIC Ambassadors also urged the High Commissioner to host a dialogue to bring out complimentarily between freedom of expression and respect of religions and to address cross-cutting legal, political and cultural issues. In this regard, they expressed that intercultural and inter-religious dialogues could make useful contributions in promoting peace, harmony and understanding.
The High Commissioner assured the Ambassadors about her commitment to combating defamation of religions and building a culture of tolerance and understanding. She told the delegation that her office was devoting substantive efforts to raise awareness in this area through publication information campaigns, seminars and conferences.
She expressed the view that when freedom of expression hurt dignity and religious sensitivities, such as in the case of publication of caricatures, the situation could not be addressed by laws alone. The viable course was to effectively combat this trend and promote culture of tolerance and sound political judgment.
She drew the attention of the delegation to the recent statement by the UN Secretary General in Doha in which he said “All of us now join to renew our call for restraint, and for an immediate end to the present atmosphere, which threatens to sow deep discord between communities, societies and countries. We deeply regret the offence given by the caricatures, as well as the loss of life and damage to property in several countries”. www.pakistanlink.com
Muslims strong reaction sensitizes EU
www.kashar.net
ISLAMABAD, March 11 (SANA): Minister for Religious Affairs Ejazul Haq has said
that the strong reaction of Muslims to the issue of blasphemous caricatures
has sensitized the European Union about delicacy of the problem.
He was addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Saturday after his return
from Brussels where he led a parliamentary delegation to apprise the EU
officials about sensitivity of the issue.
The Minister was confident that the Western media too would demonstrate
responsible attitude towards such matters.
He, however, was of the view that the violent protests have damaged our cause.
He cautioned that some elements were engaged in conspiracies against Muslims
and we must not indulge in acts that could amount to advancing their
objectives.
The Minister said the parliamentary delegation demanded of the European Union
to cooperate for the passage of the OIC resolution at the United Nations. He
said the EU, in principle, supports the resolution but also wants introduction
of some amendments to enlarge the scope of the document. The EU wants that
instead of only Islam, other religions and faith should also be included in
the resolution.
He said the delegation also met Brussels-based ambassadors of the Islamic
countries. They were of the view that there was need to activate the OIC. It
was also felt that the OIC should have its office in Brussels. The Muslim
ambassadors appreciated efforts of Pakistan and said it was the only Islamic
country that has sent a parliamentary delegation to Belgium on the issue of
blasphemous caricatures and engaged into a direct dialogue with the European
Union.
Replying to a question the Minister for Religious Affairs said he would soon
visit Jeddah to brief the OIC about the outcome of the delegation's visit to
Brussels.
He told a questioner that more delegations would be sent to other capitals as
well and hoped that the opposition would form part of those delegation.
Ihsanoglu Slams Western "Double Standards"
 |
|
"This is a Western and
European problem which should be addressed properly," said Ihsanoglu.
(Reuters) |
LONDON, March 11, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) blasted Friday, March 10, Western governments' "double standards" which he said were exploited by extremists.
"What is going on in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and Basra, this is obviously seen as double standards," said OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at a press conference in London, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
He was referring to the notorious US prisons in Cuba and Iraq, where prisoners have been tortured and sexually abused, according to US media reports and leaked photos.
"This is a Western and European problem which should be addressed properly," he stressed, adding that global tensions could be eased if Western nations applied their professed values universally.
"If we are talking about human rights as universal, how can one say there are islands on which human rights are not applied? We have a problem here," Ekmeleddin fumed.
He went on: "Their defense of freedom of expression and human rights were undermined by the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the US-led occupation of Iraq and Israel's occupation of Palestine."
Last year, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that the world must make progress on issues used by terrorists as a reason for violence such as the Middle East conflict, admitting that the Iraq war was used to recruit terrorists.
David Clark, a former British government adviser, wrote in a Guardian piece that the world should take "legitimate" Arab grievances seriously if it wanted to defeat terrorism.
Extremism
The chief of the pan-Muslim body said such double standards are fanning up extremism and help recruit terrorists, stressing that extremists did not represent the true nature of the Muslim faith.
"Why are some people supporting them? Because they tell them: 'There are double standards -- look what is taking place in Palestine, look what is taking place in Iraq'.
"They ask the people: 'Do you like this?' and they say 'No, we don't like it', and then they get the support, financial, spiritual and moral," he added.
Ekmeleddin, a Turk, further described as inexplicable the July 7 bomb attacks in London in which four presumed Muslims set off bombs on London Underground trains and a bus, killing themselves and 52 commuters.
He urged moderate Muslim leaders to speak out against radicals who praise the bombers, adding: "Nothing can justify this (attack) in the name of any religion, any ideology, any belief."
A statement issued by over forty leading mosque imams, muftis and scholars representing all sections of Muslims in Britain condemned the attacks and stressed that the four Muslim bombers can not consider themselves martyrs.
Unfair EU
 |
|
Solana suggested that the EU
and the OIC could draft a joint resolution at the UN promoting religious
tolerance. (Reuters) |
Ekmeleddin also criticized the European Union for what he described as an unsatisfactory response to the furor over the publication of Danish cartoons that lampooned Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him).
"We expected the EU to address the issue of cartoons in a more fair way," Reuters quoted Ihsanoglu as saying.
By simply regretting that Muslims found the cartoons offensive, EU foreign ministers had not gone far enough at their meeting in Brussels, he added.
"I must say that we are not satisfied with the result of last week's meeting in Brussels. The conclusion published by the European Union fell short of our expectations."
EU foreign ministers issued a strong condemnation of attacks on EU citizens and property.
Pundits said the statement was more critical of the Muslim reaction than of the cartoons themselves.
The 12 cartoons, which Ihsanoglu described as "insulting, ugly and uncivilized", were first published by a Danish newspaper and then reprinted by papers across Europe.
The furor exposed a gulf of misunderstanding between the West, which defended the publication by citing the right of free speech, and Muslims who saw it as an attack on their beliefs.
Muslim scholars and preachers demanded the Danish government anew on Friday, March 10, at a Copenhagen conference apologize for the publication of the cartoons and renewed calls for an international law banning blasphemy.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner in Salzburg, Austria, suggested on Friday in a joint paper that the EU and the OIC could draft a joint resolution at the United Nations promoting religious tolerance.
Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller, however, told reporters he was not sure EU and OIC countries could agree on a joint text.
World Muslim body criticizes EU over cartoons
By Gideon Long
LONDON, March 10 2006 (Reuters) - The leader of the world's largest Muslim body criticised the European Union on Friday for what he described as an unsatisfactory response to the furore over the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), said that by simply regretting that Muslims found the cartoons offensive, EU foreign ministers had not gone far enough at a meeting in Brussels last week.
"We expected the EU to address the issue of cartoons in a more fair way," Ihsanoglu told a news conference in London.
"I must say that we are not satisfied with the result of last week's meeting in Brussels. The conclusion published by the European Union fell short of our expectations."
The 12 cartoons, which Ihsanoglu described as "insulting, ugly and uncivilised", were first published by a Danish newspaper and then reprinted by papers across Europe.
They sparked indignation and violence in the Muslim world, where images of the prophet are deemed blasphemous. At least 50 people were killed in anti-Western protests and three Danish embassies were attacked.
The furore exposed a gulf of misunderstanding between the West, which defended the publication by citing the right of free speech, and Muslims who saw it as an attack on their beliefs.
In their Feb. 27 statement, EU foreign ministers issued a strong condemnation of attacks on EU citizens and property.
Diplomats noted the statement was more critical of the Muslim reaction than one issued days earlier by the United Nations, the Arab League and the OIC, an umbrella group of 57 predominantly Muslim nations.
BRITISH INTEGRATION
Ihsanoglu, the first OIC secretary general to visit Britain since the body's foundation 37 years ago, praised the level of integration between Britain's Muslims and non-Muslims.
"I think the situation of Muslims here with all honesty is much better than the situation of Muslims elsewhere in Europe," he said. "That shows that the British model is more successful than other models."
Britain's tradition of multiculturalism has been called into question since last year's London suicide bombings, perpetrated by British-born Muslims. Critics of it say the British should be more forceful in persuading its immigrant communities to abandon their ethnic roots and conform to British traditions.
Ihsanoglu, an Egyptian-born Turk, said he had discussed the bombings and their impact on Britain's 1.6 million Muslims with British Foreign Minister Jack Straw and Home Secretary Charles Clarke during his visit.
"(Muslims) feel they are all under suspicion," he said. "The Muslim community in its entirety should not be held responsible (for the bombings)."
Pakistan, OIC, EU to move resolution in UN to stonewall recurrence of
sacrilegious cartoons like incidents
Sunday March 12, 2006
ISLAMABAD: Terming his recently concluded Brussels visit highly
successful, federal minister for religious affairs Ijaz-ul-Haq has held out
assurances that Pakistan, OIC and European Union will jointly table a
resolution in the United Nations in a bid to stonewall recurrence of tragic
incidents like publication of sacrilegious caricatures.
"Freedom of expression has some limitations and we will take action against Denmark’s dailies in line with Copenhagen established rules and regulations," flanked by Asad Murtaza Gillani and Mushtaq victor, Ijaz-ul-Haq expressed these views at a press conference on Saturday.
The European Union in this connection was awaiting our visit anxiously but had the opposition joined us than the visit would have far-reaching positive impact, he regretted.
The publication of blasphemous caricatures is the issue of all Muslims, he said adding however, he would in future extend invitation to the opposition to join them in such visits.
He vowed that under section 140A and 267B of Denmark laws, the issue of cartoons publication would be taken to the Denmark courts with the cooperation of Copenhagen Muslim community.
He however, regretted that torching of some western embassies in Islamic countries in this connection had affected the image of Muslim.
"We should lodge peaceful protest. We should not create law and order," he concluded.
Western Double Standard Fueled Anger Over Controversial Cartoons
Arab News, Associated Press
LONDON, 11 March 2006 —
Western double standards demonstrated by the detentions at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay fueled anger that led to violent protests over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the head of the world’s largest Muslim group said yesterday.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, said that in many areas of policy, Western nations held themselves to one standard and Muslim countries to another.
He cited the detention without charge of hundreds of suspects at Guantanamo, prisoner abuses at the US-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the printing by some European newspapers of cartoons of the Prophet.
“Behind this (anger) there are so many other factors. Treating issues with different approaches, yardsticks, is the main problem. If we are talking about human rights, no one can say there are islands where human rights do not apply,” he said, referring to the Guantanamo camp.
Ihsanoglu has condemned both the cartoons and the violent protests against them.
Muslims don’t object to freedom of speech, but only want Europeans and Americans to treat Islam with respect, he said.
“They really have no issue with the freedom of opinion or expression,” he said. “Everyone is for freedom of expression, but we know that ... freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility. There is no absolute freedom.”
Scholars Urge Dialogue, Call on Denmark to Apologize
In Copenhagen, Muslim and Christian scholars and clerics agreed at a conference yesterday that the West and Islam must use dialogue to repair ties frayed by the crisis over the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cartoons.
However, the Muslim panelists accused the Danish government of mishandling the crisis and said it must apologize to the Muslim world if wants an Arab boycott on Danish goods to be lifted.
“We request an official apology from your government to the Muslim nation and to the Muslims in Denmark,” said Tariq Al-Suweidan, an Islamic scholar from Kuwait. He also demanded that the European Union enact a law “that forbids the insult to religious figures.”
Jyllands-Posten has apologized for offending Muslims, but stands by its decision to print the drawings, citing the freedom of speech.
Some Islamic leaders have criticized the Muslim panelists for coming to Denmark, saying there could be no dialogue without an official apology from the Nordic country.
OIC-Delegation OIC ambassadors
call on UN High Commissiner for Human Rights in Geneva
Tariq Bashir 'Pakistan Times' Foreign Correspondent
GENEVA (Switzerland): A delegation of 14
OIC ambassadors Friday held a meeting with United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights here to express Islamic world's deep concerns over
publication of defamatory caricatures in Danish newspaper and their reprinting
in several European newspapers.
The delegation was led by Ambassador Masood Khan, who is the OIC Coordinator
on Human Rights and Humanitarian issues in Geneva.
The ambassadors urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to
help Muslim countries to redress legal deficits in regard to respect for
religions, and mobilize human rights machinery to stem recurrence of such
outrage.
They said that such deliberate acts are disruptive and counter productive.
The OIC delegation told the High Commissioner that the caricatures had
seriously hurt the sensibilities of Islamic nations and peoples all over the
world.
They emphasized that publication of the caricature and their reprinting in the
media could not be justified in the name of freedom of expression. It was a
deliberate act of provocation and not an act of negligence.
Call for Concrete Measures
The delegation asked the High Commissioner to take concrete measures by her
office to contribute in promoting respect of religions and their prophets and
in avoiding future recurrence of
such defamatory acts.
They suggested that such measures may include sending a fact finding mission
and asking the Special Rapporteurs to carry out legal analysis of the
questions surrounding the caricatures issue.
The OIC ambassadors also urged the High Commissioner to host a dialogue to
bring out complimentarily between freedom of expression and respect of
religions and to address cross-cutting
legal, political and cultural issues.
In this regard, they expressed that intercultural and
inter-religious dialogues could make useful contributions in promoting peace,
harmony and understanding.
The High Commissioner assured the ambassadors about her commitment to
combating defamation of religions and building a culture of tolerance and
understanding.
She told the delegation that her office was devoting substantive efforts to
raise awareness in this area through publication information campaigns,
seminars and conferences.
She expressed the view that when freedom of expression hurt dignity and
religious sensitivities, such as in the case of publication of caricatures,
the situation could not be addressed by laws alone.
The viable course was to effectively combat this trend and promote culture of
tolerance and sound political judgment.
http://pakistantimes.net
Even in the West, Free Speech is not an Absolute Right
New York
06 March 2006
VOICE OF AMERICA
http://www.voanews.com/english/AmericanLife/2006-03-06-voa48.cfm
 |
Freedom of speech has been a hot topic in the news lately. It is one of the pillars of Western society, but, as newspaper editors in Europe recently learned, free speech is a concept some people in the world believe ought to be limited.
Riots in predominantly Muslim countries over the publication of religiously offensive cartoons have caused some to assert that the debate is one of "The West versus The Rest." But even in Western societies, the right to express oneself is not absolute.
Next month, for example, America's Public Broadcasting system, or "PBS," will air a documentary called "The Armenian Genocide." It will explore the circumstances surrounding the deaths of an estimated 1.2 million Armenians who lived in the Ottoman Empire during and after World War I.
The overwhelming consensus among Western scholars is that these deaths constitute the first genocide of the 20th century. But the Turkish government disputes that conclusion, saying the deaths were not the result of state-sponsored extermination, and cannot, therefore, be called "genocide."
Following the documentary, PBS plans to air a 25-minute panel discussion that includes two scholars who embrace the widely dismissed view of the Turkish government.
"We're certainly concerned about this, and we feel this program really has no place on public television," says Elizabeth Chouldjian of the Armenian National Committee of America, which has called on PBS not to broadcast the panel discussion. "Just as one would not give equal time to Holocaust deniers to get up on PBS and talk about their incorrect views," Chouldjian says, "similarly one shouldn't cloud the issue and misguide viewers by bringing known genocide deniers to this type of equation."
 |
| British historian David Irving holds his book "Hitler's War" when arriving at a court in Vienna, on Monday, Feb. 20, 2006. |
PBS did not respond to VOA's requests for an interview. But Elizabeth Chouldjian's assertion that the network would never give airtime to deniers of the Jewish Holocaust has captured some people's attention, particularly in light of the recent conviction of David Irving, the British historian who was sentenced in Vienna to three years' jail-time for breaking an Austrian law that forbids denial of the Holocaust.
According to Robert Kahn, a professor at Brooklyn Law School who has written extensively about laws governing Holocaust denial, free speech in the West is not an absolute right. It is tempered, Kahn says, by a complex system of legal and self-imposed censorship that's almost always derived from a society's history.
 |
| Brooklyn law professor Robert Kahn specializes on legal restrictions on holocaust denial |
"The countries that tend to have the laws that specifically ban Holocaust denial -- France, Germany, and Austria --- either participated in the Holocaust or had serious problems with collaboration," he says. "Even though the United States and Canada have large Jewish communities, and have survivors and people who experienced the Holocaust, it's not the same type of thing."
It is not illegal in the United States to deny the Holocaust, just exceedingly undiplomatic, given the number of survivors who came to this country after the war, and no one who wants to enjoy mainstream credibility would ever do it. That does not mean, though, that speech in America is without any legal restrictions. Robert Kahn says there are a number of state and federal laws that limit expression.
"There are some types of speech, like cross burning, which, when done to intimidate, are illegal," Kahn says. "In a lot of states, particularly in the U.S. South, you're not allowed to demonstrate while wearing a mask. These rules are basically connected up with the role of the (Ku Klux) Klan in American history, and tend to show that societies are very concerned about speech that talks about prior acts of racism…they have committed."
But it is not just negative, or "ugly" history that causes some western societies to impose official and unofficial limits on free speech. Professor Kahn points to the fact that no major American newspapers chose to publish the cartoons of Mohammed that generated controversy when they were distributed throughout Europe. "The United States is a religious country and understands the idea of respecting or disrespecting someone else's religion," he says. "Whereas you could make an argument that Europe is much more secular, and that therefore the idea that you would run something that profanes the Prophet is not as big a deal."
Meanwhile, PBS has not announced any plans to cancel its broadcast of the panel discussion, which was taped in early February, and is scheduled to air on April 17th.
The proposed RM70 million Centre could enhance tourist arrivals by as much as 10 per cent in each of the OIC member countries
MOTC
president Datuk Dr Raja Mohamad Abdullah said the tourism centre could
enhance tourist arrivals by as much as 10 per cent in each of the OIC member
countries. "We have spoken to Negeri Sembilan state Government and they are keen about the proposal. The setting up of the OIC Tourism Centre at Port Dickson will make Malaysia a hub for tourism within the Islamic World," he said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur last week.
Raja Mohamed said other OIC member countries as well as the financial arm of the OIC, the Islamic Development Bank, are also aware of the proposal.
The project, to be built on an 8ha land in Port Dickson, is expected to take off this year and will be completed in three years.
The state Government would provide land, while construction will be done by a Malaysian company, either on its own or jointly with contractors from other OIC nations.
The centre will be a platform to disseminate information about Islamic countries, their cultures, values and languages among others.
"The idea is to bring all the OIC countries under one roof. Most of the OIC members are poor and we want to help them by encouraging the rich countries to visit the poor," he said.
Poor OIC nations have many tourist attractions but lack of funds for promotions.
"Every country will rent a space at the centre and Malaysia will help promote tourism in these countries such as publishing brochures and others," he said.
There will be 57 lots within the centre, with a minimum of 2,000 sq ft area for each OIC country.
MOTC had earlier proposed to set up a RM400 million OIC Trade Centre on 24-ha land in Negeri Sembilan. That centre will be operational in as early as two years.
The trade centre, which will showcase products from OIC countries, will also house among others, an export centre, warehouse, mini expo and conference centre.
"We are working with IDB and Kuwait Finance House on the financial aspects, while the construction of the centre will be done by a Malaysian company," he said.
Support Urged for Dialogue Between Cultures
Arab News
www.arabnews.com
DOHA, 1 March 2006 — The UN-sponsored Alliance of Civilizations conference ended here yesterday after three days of deliberations on a host of issues to bring about rapprochement and co-existence of different cultures and religions and overcome fanaticism, the Qatari news agency QNA reported.
Participants of the conference stressed that ignorance breeds conflict between civilizations and that extremism was present all over the world and in all cultures.
Addressing a press conference at the end of the meeting, former UNESCO director Federico Mayor Zaragoza called on the UN, the EU and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to support the dialogue between cultures and civilizations by taking actions to deal with political and religious issues such as the recent publication in Western papers of blasphemous cartoons that have caused uproar in the Muslim world.
Zaragoza said just 3 percent of Muslims protested against the cartoons angrily whereas the reactions of over 97 percent were peaceful. He said he regretted that the media had chosen to highlight only violent protests. “There is a need to present balanced visions in media and support the communication between religions, cultures and nations,” said Mayor Zaragoza.
Turkish State Minister Mohammad Eddin urged all religious and political figures worldwide to work with a spirit of tolerance to change the status quo and put an end to inter-fighting and killing. He said the freedom of expression is important but it is more important to protect the religious freedom and maintain respect to religious beliefs.
The Alliance of Civilizations was launched in response to a request from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to overcome misperceptions between cultures, especially the Muslim world and the West.
Turkey to mediate for E.U. in cartoon row
BRUSSELS, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The European Union has called on Turkey to mediate in the cartoon conflict with the Muslim world, saying intercultural dialogue could mend the differences.
The Austrian presidency of the EU has asked Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to present his ideas for long-term solutions to the row between European countries and the Muslim world over the publication of Mohammed cartoons, Danish daily Politiken reported Tuesday.
Gul will meet with foreign ministers of the 25 member states at a meeting in March where he is expected to push for the creation of an Alliance of Civilizations. The initiative, which aims at linking Arab and Western civilizations through dialogue about cultural and religious differences, was launched by the Turkish and Spanish premiers in cooperation with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
The Austrian Foreign Minister also supported the U.N. initiative, saying it would be one of the best ways to strengthen the dialogue between Europe and the Arab world.
Turkey is the only Muslim country queuing up to join the European Union.
Alliance of Civilizations
meeting goes on without EU representation
There was no representation from the European Union (EU) countries at the
Alliance of Civilizations meeting in the Qatari capital of Doha this weekend.
The meeting focused on the recent caricature crisis stemming from caricatures of
Mohammed published in the Danish Jyllands-Post newspaper.
Coming together at the invitation of UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, high level
foreign ministry officials from many countries were in attendance, though
without attendance by EU High Commissioner Javier Solana, one important side of
the crisis was left without representation. An unnamed official from the Turkish
Foreign Ministry said "The West has not shown that it understands the
sensitivity attached to these caricatures, nor has it made actions to show it is
sorry."
Monday, February 27, 2006
www.hurriyet.com.tr
World Needs Alliance Of Civilizations, Aydin
DOHA - Turkish State Minister Mehmet Aydin said on Sunday that the world needed projects like the Alliance of Civilizations, noting that the West and the Islam world should see the reasons that led to the cartoon crisis.
Addressing the opening session of the second meeting of High Level Group for the Alliance of Civilizations in Doha, Qatar; Aydin said that the initiative turned into an useful international medium to sort out critical issues by a moral and rational point of view.
Referring to the complicated essence of the cartoon crisis, Aydin compared the tension to icebergs. ''What lies beneath the first iceberg is prejudice and growing Islamphobic views (in the West). And there are many other factors under the second iceberg like unfair political and economic structures and past negative colonial experiences which cause alienation, frustration and anger among people (in the Islamic world),'' Aydin commented.
''Not only NGOs, but also leaders and institutions of the Western and the Islamic world should see these icebergs and they should develop and reform themselves to overcome the problems,'' Aydin said.
Aydin said that the High Level Group would form a concrete action plan within seven months and they believed it would contribute to formation of a deeper and broader respect and understanding.
Published: 2/26/2006 www.anatoliantimes.com
