Danish imams urge calm as cartoon protests mount

[wantmoremass]

Here we go again....

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish Muslim preachers sought to soothe Muslim anger on Friday after newspapers reprinted a drawing of the Prophet Mohammad which caused outrage in Islamic countries two years ago.
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Danish papers republished one of the drawings of Mohammad on Wednesday in protest against what they said was a plot to murder the cartoonist who drew it.

Mostafa Chendid, an imam at the Islamic Faith Community, said Danish media had confused freedom of expression with the freedom to insult others.

But he called for all Muslims to "cool down" and "turn "the other cheek," rather than pursue a violence, saying this would harm Islam the same way the cartoons had.

"We are trying to dampen the anger," he said at Friday prayers at a mosque in northern Copenhagen.

Chendid's group was at the centre of the first controversy after the cartoons were first published in 2005, helping organize a delegation to the Middle East to present a dossier of alleged Danish insults against Islam.

Several hundred Muslims gathered in central Copenhagen on Friday to protest the publication of the cartoon, shouting "God is great," as they marched.

Thousands of supporters of the Islamist group Hamas protested in the Gaza Strip against the reprinting.

ARRESTS

A Danish citizen of Moroccan descent and two Tunisians were arrested earlier this week for planning to murder 73-year-old Kurt Westergaard, a cartoonist at Jyllands-Posten, the Danish paper that originally published the drawings in September 2005.

The Moroccan man has since been released but still faces charges. The Tunisians were remanded in custody.

Chendid deplored the planned deportation of the Tunisians, saying there was no proof of their guilt. Under Denmark's anti-terrorism laws, introduced after the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, foreign citizens can be expelled without a full legal review.

Five leading Danish daily newspapers and more than 10 smaller papers have reprinted Westergaard's cartoon, which shows the Prophet Mohammad with a bomb in his turban. Most Muslims consider any depiction of the Prophet as offensive.

Imam Abdul Wahid Pedersen, a converted Danish Muslim, called for dialogue. "I will take my starting point in some verses in the Koran that call for calm and considered discussions and law-abidingness," he told Danish state radio.

Dozens of Islamist students burned the Danish flag in southern Pakistan on Thursday, while in Kuwait, several parliamentarians called for a boycott of Danish goods.

Denmark's foreign ministry on Thursday advised Danes to avoid unnecessary travel to Pakistan.

Three Danish embassies were attacked and at least 50 people were killed in rioting in 2006 in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Since then, several young Muslims have been convicted in Denmark of planning bomb attacks, partly in protest at the cartoons.


I find it interesting that Denmark has laws that allow expulsion of foreigners without full legal review - as it should be in my opinion.

[thegodfather]

Cry me a river...They want people to take their religion seriously and then get up in arms about over a cartoon depicting their 'great prophet.' Muhammas was a broke ass bum roaming through the desert who decided his life sucked and that he'd rather start a religion and get rich. So basically, Mohammad = a ****ing con artist. As if we would take their religion seriously to begin with, because we all know how great Sharia law is as far as human rights.../end sarcasm

[LawMan018]

All I can say is wow... I'd understand if there was a picture in the actual mosque and people would get upset, or posted on the door of a Muslim... But give me a damn break... In a newspaper? People make fun of Jesus all the time and you don't hear us Christians bitching and moaning about it... Does it mean we are less faithful? No... Does it mean we don't respect him as much as you respect Mohammad? No... It means we aren't a bunch of pansies and we don't let things get to us like emotional pregnant women!

[LawMan018]

Here's the picture the guy drew... I don't see how you could be seriously offended by this...

[Pooks]

Its against the muslim faith to draw pictures, make painting, or sculpt sculptures... All these things are considered idolatry.

Thats why Muslims developed Calligraphy .. a fancy artistic type of fancy writing.. Instead of 'visual' art they practice a form of 'writing' art..

so it basically breaks one of the main points of their religion..

obviously this is not a compatible way of thinking, to the way we think in the rest of the world..

and now we get these protests.

[LawMan018]

Its against the muslim faith to draw pictures, make painting, or sculpt sculptures... All these things are considered idolatry.

Thats why Muslims developed Calligraphy .. a fancy artistic type of fancy writing.. Instead of 'visual' art they practice a form of 'writing' art..

so it basically breaks one of the main points of their religion..

obviously this is not a compatible way of thinking, to the way we think in the rest of the world..

and now we get these protests.

Well yes, I know... But these are non Muslims doing it so why even get excited about it?

[Pooks]

Well yes, I know... But these are non Muslims doing it so why even get excited about it?

politics as usual...between them and us.

I agree man its sad, wish we could all just get allong

[Prada]

Its against the muslim faith to draw pictures, make painting, or sculpt sculptures... All these things are considered idolatry.

Thats why Muslims developed Calligraphy .. a fancy artistic type of fancy writing.. Instead of 'visual' art they practice a form of 'writing' art..

so it basically breaks one of the main points of their religion..

obviously this is not a compatible way of thinking, to the way we think in the rest of the world..

and now we get these protests.

Right, having pictures or images of Mohammad is strictly against their religion. If it is that important to them, I see no reason we cant respect that. It is their religion and their view. It is insulting to them so why purposely go out of ones way to do that to them?

Doing this a second time is quite incendiary.

Cry me a river...They want people to take their religion seriously and then get up in arms about over a cartoon depicting their 'great prophet.' Muhammas was a broke ass bum roaming through the desert who decided his life sucked and that he'd rather start a religion and get rich. So basically, Mohammad = a ****ing con artist. As if we would take their religion seriously to begin with, because we all know how great Sharia law is as far as human rights.../end sarcasm

Personally I wouldn't use such derogatory and insolent language, but I assume this is your view towards ALL religions, correct?

[shifty_git]

Im not racist.. i hate everybody...