Dânesh Zaki

The recent events have obligated me to write on the Cartoon Controversy that has infuriated millions of Muslims the world over. We Muslims revere the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) so much that when we mention his name we invoke God Almighty’s peace and blessings upon him. We believe that he was perfect in word and deed and with his exemplary character and conduct demonstrated the way life should be led. In Islamic terms, this is known as the Sunnah and serves as a practical reference to the Quran, the holy book of Muslims. Right from childhood, we are told to love and respect the Prophet (pbuh) as much or more than our parents. When such high esteem and reverence is attached, passions are bound to run high and anger is bound to surface whenever there is an act of disrespect. Since the Prophet (pbuh) is a common thread across all Muslims from various levels in the society, the reactions have been in accordance - ranging from peaceful marches to burning of buildings.

While I agree that there have been a few distasteful reactions, I would also like to state that by citing “Freedom of Expression”, people cannot use foul language, pictures, insults or spread hatred. I would like to borrow a phrase I heard somewhere that calls such incitement “Intellectual Terrorism” and hope that people learn from these incidents and learn to respect each other and their beliefs.