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February 3, 2006 |
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THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA RECALLS ITS AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK FOR CONSULTATIONS OVER CARTOONS ABOUT THE PROPHET PEACE BE UPON HIM. ARAB AND MUSLIM COUNTRIES CONDEMN THE CARTOONS WHILE THE ARAB LEAGUE AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE REFER THE MATTER TO THE UNITED NATIONS. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has confirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Denmark Mohamed Al Hujailan for consultations over cartoons about Prophet Mohammed Peace Be Upon Him published in a popular newspaper. A Saudi government official said the move was taken "in light of the Danish government's lack of attention to insulting the Prophet by its newspapers". This move was taken as the Organization of Islamic conference decided to boycott the cultural project "Images from the Middle East" which will be held by the Danish Center for Culture and Development with partial finance from the Danish government. The boycott is to protest publication of cartoons blasphemous to Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) and refusal by the Danish government to deal with this issue seriously. Secretary General of the Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Professor Ekmeluddin Ihsanoglu said in a press conference that the OIC asked all its member states and cultural institutions to boycott the Danish cultural project "Images from the Middle East" to protest this inappropriate conduct. The International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) has condemned the blasphemous cartoons, which were published recently by Danish newspaper "Jyllands-Postens." A statement released by the IIRO said "despite the efforts exerted by the Saudi Government and other Muslim countries to make the Danish newspaper apologize, yet the newspaper failed to do that under the pretext of freedom of press. "Any insult to Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him), hurts the feelings of 1.5 billion Muslims," said the statement. The statement pointed out that such heinous practices will widen the gap among various cultures, and will impede the path of co-existence between Muslims and non-Muslims. The statement reiterated its rejection of such a 'malicious' press freedom that may pave the way for seditions and violence. "We would like to confirm our condemnation of this vicious act which has insulted the greatest Muslim character, and we demand the Danish officials to publicly announce their apology," said the statement. The statement urged the Muslims to practice self-control and to avoid any act that may harm Islam and Muslims, adding that 'intensive efforts should be exerted to project the bright image of Islam and the greatness of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be On Him). The General Secretariat of the Rabat-based Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) was upset about negative positions taken by some officials in a number of European countries towards the hostile campaign launched against Islam by some European media. In a statement, ISESCO referred to comments by a senior official in a European country criticizing the convening of what he called anti-Judaism symposium in Iran while ignoring recent Danish and Norwegian magazines' cartoons blasphemous to the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). The statement called such positions as dual standards by Europeans biased against Islam, the religion of more than 1.25 billion Muslims all over the world, noting that the behavior runs contrary to ethical principles, religious instructions and international law. The General Secretariat of the Makkah-based Muslim World League has expressed strong dissatisfaction of Muslims and Islamic centers and institutions in the world over the insult directed by the Norwegian "Magazinet" magazine to the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him.) In its edition of 10 January 2006, the Norwegian magazine re-published cartoons blasphemous to the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). The cartoons were originally published by the Danish daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten in 30/09/2005. The magazine chose the day of Eid Al-Adha, holy to Muslims, to promote this regrettable insult, MWL noted. In a statement issued at the headquarters of the Hajj guests of the MWL in Mina, the Secretary General of the MWL Dr. Abdullah Ibn Abdul Mohsin Al Turki warned of the negative results of continued publication by some Western media of material insulting Islam and the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). Dr. Al Turki called on institutions in Europe to consider the negative impact of these campaigns on civilization dialogue, cooperation among peoples of the world and peace and security in the world. He called on Muslims in Europe to be disciplined and not respond to reactions that might lead to negative results. General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council has strongly condemned the shameful act perpetrated by the Norwegian "Magazinet" magazine which followed the Danish daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten in publishing cartoons blasphemous to the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him.) In a press statement, the General Secretariat said that such anti-Islamic acts surpass the freedom of free speech and press and represent a violation of international values and principles. The General Secretariat called for an end to such shameful practices. Abdullah Al-Othaim, executive president of Al-Othaim Holding Company, reaffirmed his company's boycott of Danish products until that country's largest daily apologizes for publishing 12 cartoons that mocked the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Al-Othaim said that just as Denmark has freedom of the press, Muslims have freedom to buy or not to buy. The company is comprised of five subsidiaries (Al-Othaim Supermarket, Al-Othaim Mall, Entertainment, Training Center and Al-Othaim Commercial Group) and owns around 60 branches across the Kingdom. Al-Othaim's decision, which he says includes a boycott of any supplier that includes Danish products, may help to impact SR1.3 billion worth of exports to Saudi Arabia. Danish food giant Arla Foods said in Copenhagen it was being targeted by the Saudi boycott because of the publication of the offensive cartoons. Arla Foods is Europe's second-largest dairy company and the leading Danish exporter to Saudi Arabia, where it sells an estimated two billion kroner ($328 million) worth of products every year. "More and more supermarkets are taking our products off their shelves and don't want fresh supplies because consumers no longer want to buy our brand," Arla Foods spokesman Louis Honore told AFP. "The situation is very serious." Officials in Muslim countries and various religious bodies have voiced their indignation over the cartoons. In a statement, Dr. Saleh Al-Wohaibi, secretary-general of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), called the newspaper's actions part of "a culture of Islamophobia" and asked the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member countries to take a firm united stand against such indiscretions by forming a concerted action plan. The OIC and the Muslim World League (MWL) hve both issued statements condemning the images. Al-Wohaibi said WAMY rejects outright any justification behind "such uncivilized behavior in the name of freedom of expression." "(The WAMY) firmly believes that all Prophets (Peace Be Upon Them) should be kept away from derogatory and slanderous attacks, because these were the chosen lot of the Almighty to guide humanity on the right path," said Wohaibi. "Therefore, mocking at the Prophets (Peace Be Upon Them) is highly degrading and subverts the call for human values and freedom of faith advocated by the United Nations Charter." The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he pointed out, is a role model for Muslims around the world and occupies a supreme position in the hearts and minds of every Muslim, who is ready to sacrifice his life and property for his cause. His love and affection for him far exceeds the love of his family members. "In the light of the principles of our religion and human values, which respect beliefs of other religions and in an effort to soothe the sentiments of the aggrieved Muslim community, WAMY appeals to the governments of the Muslim countries to understand their obligations and responsibilities toward their citizens and launch a campaign to make sure that such inflammatory attacks on Islam and the Prophet do not recur in future," said Wohaibi. WAMY also sought an unconditional apology from the governments of Denmark and Norway for their failure to take action against those responsible for the blasphemous cartoons and called on them to commit themselves to the principle of respect for religions. It also urged the international community and institutions to stand firmly against repetition of such outrageous incidents and punish the culprits who deliberately provoke over one billion Muslims as part of their hostile propaganda against Islam. Al-Wohabi said: "We would also like to draw the attention of those scholars, thinkers and leaders of the world who are working for the cause of justice and world peace not to ignore such uncivilized behaviour that only emboldens the critics of Islam to launch more vituperative attacks against this religion. Sowing such feelings of hatred will only undermine the efforts of some noble souls who are striving to bring nations together for a comprehensive world peace." "Boycotting Danish products is the simple act that we can do," said consumer Abu Talal. The Danish Embassy in the Kingdom reiterated its government's stand that condemns any expression, action or indication that attempt to demonize groups of people on the basis of their religion or ethnic background. Denmark's state prosecutor Peter Broendt Joergensen said that the drawings were protected by his country's freedom of speech laws. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has also said that the government has no say over media content. The general reaction in Riyadh was that freedom of expression does not mean the freedom to act irresponsibly. Typical of such comment came from a marketing executive Muneef Ali Mirza who said: "No newspaper or magazine in the Muslim world would ever think of publishing any damaging article against Jesus or Moses or any other Prophet (Peace Be Upon Them), since all of them are highly respected in Islam. That's the difference between the Islamic and the Western society." "When someone offends the Prophet (PBUH), it is not only just a local problem but also affects Muslims worldwide," Abdul Wahid Petersen, a leading imam in Denmark, was quoted as saying on Danish public radio. Imams of mosques across the Kingdom denounced Danish and Norwegian newspapers that published cartoons tarnishing the image of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and urged Islamic countries to confront such hostile campaigns. Delivering his Friday sermon, Sheikh Osama Khayyat, imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, emphasized the lofty position of the Prophet in the minds of Muslims. "The Prophet Muhammad was sent to the world as a mercy," Khayyat said, quoting a verse from the Holy Qur'an. He said such blasphemous cartoons would not affect the noble personality of the Prophet. He commended the Saudi government for taking a firm stand against the cartoons that defiled the Prophet and his teachings. "This goodly government has warmed our hearts with its clear Islamic stance," Khayyat said in the sermon aired by state television. "It showed its extreme displeasure, did justice to the Prophet and warned of the dangers of continuing this grave hostile path," he said. The sermon of Sheikh Ali Al-Hudaify, imam of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, also centered on the cartoon issue. He said many people in the past had tried to defame the Prophet. "They were thrown in the dustbin of history and nobody remembers them," the imam said, adding that Muhammad (PBUH) is remembered as a great Prophet and reformer. The imam said the mockery of the Prophet would be considered a mockery of other Prophets such as Moses, Jesus and Abraham (Peace Be Upon Them). "We call upon governments, organizations and scholars in the Islamic world to extend support for campaigns protesting the sacrilegious attacks on the Prophet. They should also highlight the danger posed by such vilifications, using international forums and information media," Hudaify said. Saudi companies and organizations have already called for a boycott of Danish products until the daily apologizes for publishing the cartoons. Imams of mosques across the Kingdom used their Friday sermons to back the boycott campaign. Abdullah Al-Othaim, executive president of Al-Othaim Holding Company, has said that his company would boycott of Danish products. "As Denmark has freedom of the press, we Muslims have freedom to buy or not to buy their products," he said. "This is religious duty and all businessmen should do something," said Sultan, manager of a Riyadh supermarket which had signs warning customers where the Danish products were. Norway said last Thursday it had advised its Middle East embassies to voice regret that an Oslo-based newspaper ran reprints of the cartoons. Kari Karame, an expert in conflicts and the Middle East at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, said it was wrong to exploit freedom of speech to defend any insults. "It's a very bad principle to say you can treat people who are different from you as you want because of freedom of expression," she told Reuters. The Muslim world's two main political bodies, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League, said they were seeking a UN resolution, backed by possible sanctions, to protect religions. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General of the 57-member OIC told reporters in Cairo that the OIC would "ask the UN General Assembly to pass a resolution banning attacks on religious beliefs." Ahmad Ben Helli, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, confirmed that contacts were under way for such a proposal to be made to the United Nations. "Consultations are currently taking place at the highest level between Arab countries and the OIC in order to ask the UN to adopt a binding resolution banning contempt for religious beliefs and providing for sanctions to be imposed on contravening countries or institutions," he said. The Makkah-based Muslim World League said that it had sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, urging the United Nations and its subsidiary organizations to stop smear campaigns against Islam and Prophet Muhammad. "The MWL, which represents Muslim minorities and Islamic organizations around the world, hereby conveys to you, the United Nations and other international organizations the indignation and outrage of Muslims over the smear campaigns being launched by a section of the Western media against Islam and Prophet Muhammad," MWL Secretary-General Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki said in a letter to UN chief Annan. Al-Turki said the MWL had received several messages from Muslims in Denmark and Norway and other European countries denouncing the sacrilegious cartoons. He urged the UN to keep a watch on such anti-Islamic campaigns. "International law is replete with resolutions which seek to promote peaceful coexistence and which prohibit abuse of religion and tarnishing their images," the MWL chief said. Al-Azhar, the highest seat of religious learning in the Muslim world, has vowed to raise the issue of the provocative caricatures with the UN and international human rights organizations. The Egyptian parliament called for recalling the Egyptian Ambassadors in Denmark and Norway. Syria and Bahrain joined the protest. "Syria calls on the Danish government to take the necessary measures to punish the culprits. The dialogue of civilizations is based on mutual respect," said an official quoted by the Syrian News Agency. The Bahraini Cabinet condemned the cartoons "which are a deliberate attack against the glorious Prophet Muhammad and have angered Muslims the world over." State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Ahmed Al-Khalifa said the government "warned against the negative repercussions" of the cartoons. Libya said it had decided to shut down its embassy in Denmark to protest the Danish government's silence about the cartoons. The Jordanian foreign ministry has condemned the blasphemous cartoons. A statement released in Amman said Jordan will never tolerate any insult to Islam. The statement urged the Danish government to take the required measures for preventing recurrence of any action that might insult Islam. The Jordanian foreign ministry summoned the Danish ambassador to Jordan, who is residing in Damascus, to deliver to him a memorandum of protest in this respect. Retailers in the Gulf have already started pulling Danish and Norwegian products off the shelves and Danish manufacturers have voiced their concern should the boycott gain further momentum. An Emirati retailer announced its boycott of Danish products "in response to the offence against Prophet Mohammed ... and in response to consumers' wishes". Most Arab governments have vocally condemned the series of 12 cartoons. On the other hand Prince Mohammed Ibn Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom and Ireland, opened the Forum on Trade and Investment Opportunities for British Companies in Saudi Arabia in Manchester. In a key address before more than 250 representatives of financial, economic and investment institutions in Manchester, Prince Mohammed Ibn Nawaf confirmed that the Saudi economy has made great strides over the last decades, offering historic chances for investors from inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Citing firm ties binding the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, he called on investors in the forum's host country to seize the chance of investing in Saudi Arabia. Prince Mohammed referred the British businessmen seeking investment opportunities in the Kingdom to Saudi experts available at the conference to explore a wide range of investment and trade chances in Saudi Arabia. He said the current strong relations between the two kingdoms provide good chances for widening the fields of cooperation, including the size of investment and commercial exchanges. He noted that the International Trade Committee, an affiliate of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has sent a powerful delegation to Britain in confirmation of its desire to increase joint cooperation with the United Kingdom and augment the size of investment and trade cooperation with businessmen in Manchester. He expressed satisfaction over the current trade cooperation size between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, noting that the Saudi economy is currently enjoying an ideal prosperity season. He cited that the size of the Saudi exports leaped to SR472 billion between 1998 - 2004 compared with SR145 billion in 1998. Meanwhile, Saudi imports also increased to about SR157 billion in 2004 compared with SR103 billion in 1996, he stated. He said those figures indicate the firmness and prosperity of the Saudi economy, noting that time is ripe before businessmen of the city to enter into investment in Saudi Arabia's giant and diversified projects. Under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Kingdom has announced new developmental projects amounting to nearly $ 624 billion, Prince Mohammed Ibn Nawaf Ibn Abdul Aziz said and added that the Kingdom wants to spend this great sum of money on important developmental projects. He pointed out that the new laws allow regional and international investors to set up their own projects in Saudi Arabia. On the Saudi Stock market, the Prince noted that it has scored three-fold increase over the last two years, ranking 11th of the world and that the number of Saudi investors has reached nearly 2 million. He condemned the scourge of terrorism targeting all peoples and the civilized world, reviewing the Kingdom's efforts in combating and eradicating repugnant terrorism. He quoted Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair as one day saying that the two countries of Saudi Arabia and Britain have suffered from terrorist attacks and the two are determined to conquer the terror plague. The Saudi Ambassador affirmed that security in the Kingdom has been maintained and the Kingdom will proceed on preserving security at the highest levels to ensure the safety of its people and expatriates in the Kingdom. Prince Mohammed paid tribute to the efforts exerted by Grand Manchester mayor Lord Mohammed Afzal Khan to make the idea of holding this conference in Manchester a reality. He thanked the British hosts for their warm reception and generous hospitality accorded to him and his accompanying delegation during their visits to Edinburgh and Manchester and the neighbouring areas. |
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