Cartoons Controversy
The cartoons of Mohammed first appeared in a Danish paper Jyllands-Posten in September. Islam forbids depictions of Mohammed and many Muslims were furious at the drawings, one of which shows the religious figure wearing a turban shaped like a bomb. Some other European papers later published some of the cartoons, as a way of covering the controversy and also, some papers said, as a matter of freedom of expression. Two small weekly Jordanian newspapers also reprinted the cartoons and, according to Jordan's Petra News Agency, arrest warrants issued for the editors-in-chief.
The Danish paper issued an apology in late January after weeks of quieter expressions of outrage and diplomatic efforts to avoid the widespread violence. The Danish government says it does not control what is in the country's newspapers and that courts will determine whether the newspaper that originally published the cartoons is guilty of blasphemy. But tens of thousands of Muslims around the world continue to stage protests -- some resulting in deaths -- over the cartoons.
Miniature of Muhammad re-dedicating the Black Ston...
Controversial cartoons of Muhammad, first publishe...
El Fagr's 17 October 2005 headline page.I have read all these news regarding blasphemy, both against the Almighty Himself and the Prophet (p). From my limited understanding of the Qur'an, blasphemy laws do not really have any basis, either in the Qur'an or the Sunnah of the Prophet (p). What I gather is that one is asked either to leave the company of those who do blaspheme or to keep calm and hold to forgiveness, since God is the Final Judge. The examples of all the Prophets (p) as cited in the Qur'an is, I think, a perfect example of holding to the Almighty's Help and Mercy.
However, for any society that intends to create and atmosphere of Islamic values, slurs and insults aimed at God, any of his Prophets (p) or Religion in general, cannot...