A Christian apologist wrote:

“In Arab nations you will be beheaded for mocking the Arab monarchies (Kings, Emirs or Sheikhs). So imagine what would happen to anyone who mock, criticize or draw cartoons of Muhammad the Prophets of Islam?

Under Islamic law, any criticism or mockery of Muhammad carries Instant death penalty……”



My response:

Perhaps most Christians are unaware of international law that protect the rights and dignity of an individual.

It is history that no people tolerate defamation of their political or national leaders leave alone the denigration of the exalted Prophet of Muslims with about 2 billion followers in the world. Prophet is the honour of the community which no people can compromise.
It is more like a conspiracy against the Muslim world in particular to portray them as violent or extremist after provoking them!
We have seen many films and cartoon insulting the Prophet (saw) in the name of “freedom of speech”


In law, hate speech is any speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence or prejudicial action against or by a protected individual or group, or because it disparages or intimidates a protected individual or group.
In some countries, a victim of hate speech may seek redress under civil law, criminal law, or both.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) states that “any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law”. [International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 20]


Despite the provision of this law, it seems the law is only applicable to the their personal gain , for Islam and the Prophet, violations of this law should not be consider as harmful, because they are ineffective.

However, the libel law and defamation law entrenched in the constitutions of many countries simultaneously ensure the safeguarding of basic human rights such as human dignity. So free speech is a basic human right but human dignity too is a basic human right with equal weight. Constitutions and laws prevent behaviour detrimental to human dignity. Even the Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution cares so much for human dignity that it decrees: “A punishment must not by its severity be degrading to human dignity.” How then can human behaviour in general be permitted to be hurtful and degrading?


@facts…..
Muslims don’t go around making videos mocking Jesus or Moses; Atheistic movement, or the deities of other religions. Muslims don’t celebrate burning of Bibles, Jewish Torah, Hindu and scripture or even flushing them down the toilet.
Because Islam provide considerable guidance to its followers on the importance of respecting the Sanctity of other Faith Symbols

“Do not revile those they call on beside God, so they, in their hostility, revile God, without knowledge” [6:108]

This verse is a warning commandment that reviling, insulting, or cursing other faiths or the idols is prohibited because indirectly we are causing our God to be reviled, insulted or cursed. Muslims are taught decency in matters that deals with moral and social values in other to lives and be tolerant with other faiths.


People who mock Islamic symbol and the prophet are not interested in any positive aspect or logical arguments that can prove and clear the misconceptions. It is the lack of logical arguments that makes them resort to mockery in the first place. Therefore, mockery is tantamount to ignorance!

On the other hand, we see the Qur'an encouraging us to engage with the people of reason and to even debate them if they have a different point of view:

“Call people to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good teaching, and argue with them in the most courteous way” [Quran 16:125]
This verse address the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) It says:
“Indeed, we are sufficient for you against the mockers” – Quran Surat Al-Hijr 15:95

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According to “the law of defamation”, the absolute right to free expression is curtailed in order to balance the rights of an individual. In the same way, an act that causes offence to a whole community can never be justified under the banner of freedom of speech.
Moreover, in many countries, it is illegal or at least discouraged to degrade or abuse the constitution or certain national institutions such as the army, courts of law, or parliament. Contempt of court also exists all over the world which severely limits freedom of speech, violation of which can lead to imprisonment.


Prohibitive Laws on Defamation of Religions:

Many European countries have laws on their statute books that forbid defamation of religion. For example:

Austria: Articles 188–189 of the Criminal Code

Finland: Section 10 of chapter 17 of the Penal Code

Germany: Article 166 of the Criminal Code

The Netherlands: Article 147 of the Criminal Code

Spain: Article 525 of the Criminal Code

Ireland: Article 40.6.1.i of the constitution of Ireland provides that the publication of blasphemous matter is an offence. Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act, 1989 includes hatred against a group on account of their religion.

Canada: Section 296 of the Canadian Criminal Code

New Zealand: Section 123 of the New Zealand Crimes Act, 1961
Churches, for instance, hold sanctity in the Christian world and are protected under the constitution in some European countries. An example is the constitution of Denmark, section 4 [State Church] which states: “The Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the Established Church of
Denmark, and, as such, it shall be supported by the State.”


Moreover, these laws or traditions have been enforced or practised from time to time in similar situations. For example:

Gerhard Haderer’s cartoon book, The Life of Jesus, was banned in Greece in 2003 under Greek laws of “blasphemy” and “insulting religion”.


In 2008, during a punk festival in Linköping, Sweden used marketing posters showing Satan defecating on Jesus on the cross, under the slogan “Punx against Christ [sic]!” The poster was taken down by the municipality of Linköping.


On 8 September 2011, UK’s Advertising Standards Authority, advertising watchdog, banned Phones4U mobile phone ad featuring an image of Jesus Christ after receiving almost 100 complaints that it “mocked and belittled” the Christian faith.
According to the watchdog, the cartoon picture of Jesus winking and giving a thumbs-up sign was “disrespectful to the Christian faith”.


In 1997 Tatyana Suskin—also spelled Tatiana Soskin—was apprehended in Hebron while attempting to attach to an Arab storefront a drawing she had made depicting Muhammad as a pig reading the Koran. The incident created considerable tension, and she received a two year sentence.


In February 2005, the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg, Sweden, decided to remove the painting “Scène d’Amour” by Louzla Darabi.


In February 2006, the activist Manfred van H. was convicted in Germany and sentenced to one year of prison.


Gregorius Nekschot, a Dutch cartoonist collaborator of Theo van Gogh, was arrested on May 13, 2008. His house was searched by ten policemen and his computer and sketch books were confiscated. He was held in jail for interrogation and was made to remove eight cartoons from his website at the request of the public prosecutor for being discriminatory against the Muslims.


In 2010, the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art quietly withdrew all images of the Prophet Mohammed from display because of Muslims who say the images are blasphemous.


In 2002, the release of the video game Hitman 2: Silent Assassin sparked controversy due to a level featuring the killing of Sikhs within a depiction of their most holy site, the Harmandir Sahib. An altered version of Silent Assassin was eventually released with the related material removed from the game.


In 2004, a theatre in Birmingham, England, cancelled the performance of the play Behzti (Dishonour) by playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. The play depicted sex abuse and murder in a gurdwara—Sikh temple.


On 26 September, 2012, Google’s President of Brazil Operations was arrested for failing to remove YouTube videos. The president of Google operations in Brazil, Fabio Jose Silva Coelho, was detained by the country’s federal police, after the company failed to heed a judge’s order to take down YouTube videos that the court ruled violate Brazilian electoral law.


When the British newspaper, The Independent (January 27, 2003), depicted the Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, eating the head of a Palestinian child while saying, “What’s wrong, you’ve never seen a politician kissing babies before?”, this caused an uproar in Israel and other parts of the world, raising tempers especially in the Jewish communities around the world. Whatever the matter of that caricature, the uproar was a natural reaction of a people for their leader.


When the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi compared himself to Jesus Christ, the Vatican and a number of Italian politicians immediately expressed shock and anger at these comments. A senior Catholic Church official added, “I know he will say he was speaking in jest but such things should not be spoken of in jest.”



“According to the proven thought of psychic pathology and mob psychology, all violent reactions have their roots in some spiteful, malicious and detesting stimulants. The hateful film and cartoon episode is no exception to the rule”.




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Resolving Path (RP) – Charitable foundation for the best of humanity as regard to written propagations