Freedom has a sublime meaning that most people don’t comprehend. Freedom is respect of other people’s freedom, never violating their rights. When people intrude upon your religious beliefs, your rights, or your opinions, then you have lost your sense of freedom.
European countries claim to have the choice of freedom. What is apparent is that they use savage freedom that reflects enmity toward Islam in general and Arab sensibilities in particular.
It is strange that people describe certain Western countries as democratic, forgiving and respectful of others’ freedom regardless of their actual behavior, which does not reflect any of these traits.
The offensive cartoons depicting our Prophet (peace be upon him), published on Sept. 30 in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, are a mark of disgrace in the West’s fake sense of freedom.
The Muslim Ummah expressed its anger and resentment over the cartoons. This rage comes as a response to a flagrant violation of Islam’s most prominent figure and humiliating Islamic sanctity.
Islamic groups, especially the Organization of the Islamic Conference, played a big role by issuing statements denouncing the cartoons and justifications of their publication from different quarters. The statement clarified that freedom of expression must be governed by rationality and responsibility and that respect must be shown to different religious beliefs.
Other Western newspapers republished the offensive cartoons, which only worsened the situation.
Boycotting Danish products in response to the offensive cartoons is an important economic means of delivering a message to the Danes. The Danish government jeopardized its citizens’ interests. Foreign governments and nations must know that the Islamic world will definitely take action when Islamic beliefs are being ridiculed.
The Muslim countries and communities must stick together to win this economic and political battle. Triumph will bring back the true image of Islam away from terrorism and violence.
We must also educate our children and the new generation to avoid more violence. Violence only leads to destruction, and hatred only leads to resentment.
The Muslim world is waiting for the cultural and political sectors in Europe to tender an apology for the crime Denmark has committed. The crime that happened under the name of freedom of expression violated our religion and our role model.
On the other hand, I think that Islamic society’s reaction has delivered a clear message to the Western world. It is about time we hold back our anger so that we don’t give a chance to extremists to further defame Islam by creating hatred and violence.
