For a Muslim, defending Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) honor and integrity carries an ultimate importance. In fact, respect and love for all the Prophets of God is an essential component of our Islamic faith. Recently, there were preposterous suggestions laid down by some American and European artists, they initiated a spiteful campaign to promote freedom of speech, a campaign that encouraged participants to draw caricatures of our beloved Prophet (PBUH). In the recent past, similar efforts to draw blasphemous caricatures were met with severe disgust and anger across the Muslim world. Masses feel that certain elements in the western world are purposefully adopting a collision course with the Islamic civilization and values, as a result, repeated efforts are being made to damage the sanctity of Islam and its followers. Whether, it is the stripping of male prisoners in Abu Ghraib, the desecration of the Holy Quran in American controlled prisons, criminal silence in support of blocking aid to the starving/deprived population of Gaza or the torture meted out to Aafia Siddiqui. There seems to be a very evident pattern in all these cases, incite hatred amongst the Muslim masses by hurting their religious sentiments, and then label them as extremists for protesting and demanding justice. It’s high time that the Muslim world woke up from its prolonged state of apathy, mere demonstrations and protests won’t suffice. Instead, a clear message needs to be sent out, that “freedom of speech must never be utilized to hurt religious sentiments, nor incite hatred based on color, creed or nationality”. Further, our very own slumbering OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) needs to devise an effective economic and political riposte that acts as a strong deterrent against any more acts of blasphemy being committed in future.
by: Safwan Umair