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UN Calls For Mutual Respect For Amid Islamic Cartoon Conflict
Written by Nur Yasmin
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The UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Angel Moratinos calls on the world to respect each other of religions and faiths, to foster a culture of brotherhood and peace.
In a statement, Moratinos said he was following with deep concern the growing tensions and instances of intolerance fueled by the French weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo which published satirical caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
"The seditious caricature has also provoked acts of violence against innocent civilians, who were attacked because of their religion, belief or ethnicity," Moratinos said.
He underlined that contempt for religion and sacred religious symbols provokes hatred and violent extremism, leading to polarization and fragmentation of society.
Freedom of expression must be exercised in a way that fully respects the religious beliefs and principles of all religions, he said.
"Acts of violence cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group," said Moratinos.
Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron described Islam as a "religion in crisis" and announced plans for tougher laws to tackle "Islamic separatism" in France.
Tensions have escalated after the case of the beheading of a high school teacher, Samuel Paty, on October 16 in a Paris suburb after he showed him a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in one of his classes about freedom of expression.
The attacker, Abdullakh Anzorov, an 18-year-old man from Chechnya, was then shot dead by police. Macron paid tribute to Paty, and the cartoon released by Charlie Hebdo was also projected on buildings in several cities.
The French president defended the caricature, saying France "will not stop our cartoons". The remarks sparked outrage across the Muslim world.
In addition to condemnation from several countries including Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, there have been calls to boycott products, protests and French attacks on French websites. (Antaranews)
