News > Statements&Communiqués > offenses against the Prophet (p.)

The Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, considered that the methodology that the West is using politically and culturally, and which is sometimes represented by indifference and by covering or conspiring in other times, towards the expressions of not respecting the religions and the bad practice of the role of freedom and the right of expression, especially towards Islam and its Holy symbols…Such methodology has negative effects on the nations’ view towards religions in general. It also widens the gap that many people are trying to found in order to hinder the dialogue among religions and cultures. Moreover, this methodology establishes a ground for the immoral treatment of others that is not based on the mutual respect for the religions’ beliefs and Holy symbols. Besides, it undermines the rules of forgiveness and love that the Christianity and Islam call for.

He also affirmed that the role of freedom is a Holy one, whether the freedom of belief or expression. Nevertheless, the practices that we witness nowadays and which offend the Islamic Holy symbols and the Prophet (p.) in particular, show – at least – a decadence in the Western institutions and sometimes in the public opinion. This decadence is obvious, especially, through the formation of the concepts of values, including the freedom of expression. Hence, this freedom must be based on the humanitarian values that respect the other’s convictions, commitments, and symbols. Moreover, these Western practices reflect – in their utmost – the existence of a background that shows antagonism towards Islam and Muslims.

His Eminence also expressed his sorrow for the participation of some religious and other kinds of leaderships in the process of offending Islam and Muslims, or through generalizing the conduct of specific groups that adopt violence to include all Muslims. Such process is like the propaganda that is directed by many of the mass media and political sites – in a direct or indirect way – against the Islamic society in general. The last offense was announced by some of the Holland officials, or through recalling old impressions that reflect negative views towards Islam and which was criticized a long time ago. Another offense was made by the Pope’s lecture a few weeks ago, in addition to other statements that criticize personal choices of some Islamic people, like what happened recently in Britain.

His Eminence also condemned the repeated offenses against Prophet Muhammad (p.). The last of which was the offence published in the mass media and made by some Danish parties against the Prophet (p.). In addition, he indicated that this offense represents a kind of intellectual and cultural imprudence and reflects a blind hatred towards Islam. This hatred is nourished – in a way or another – by the political and information environment that is being united, even formally, in showing hatred towards Islam as a religion and towards Muslims as a part of the various western societies.

His Eminence added that: In the present time, we are not laying the responsibility on the Danish government, but, we call on it to rise in its stand from the level of the verbal condemnation and to establish legal and practical frames for treating the reality of causes that exude such behavior. That is because the state of indifference towards the repeated offenses against Islam may cause negative reactions may result from emotional reactions, since, the real possibilities of controlling it or treating its negative results on the Islamic and western reality may not be available.

Moreover, Fadlullah called on the Western authorities, officials and concerned persons, in addition to the western mass media, to take into consideration the seriousness of these offenses which were repeated time and again, especially that the Islamic existence has became deep–rooted in the West.

He added that: As we do not want any negative reactions to occur in the West against such offenses, we also emphasize on Muslims to respect the Western people and not wrong them. Furthermore, we stress on the Western people to respect Islam and not to offend the Muslims’ Holy symbols. In this way, we will prevent the situation from turning into a bloody one as a result of the hot issues that cause negative reactions which may – in a way or another – harm the relation between Muslims and the Western people,.

At the end of his statement, H.E. Sayyed Fadlallah laid stress on his call to the Secretary-General of the UN, to work on issuing the code of anti-Semitism that includes all cases of aggression against Islam and Muslims that are practiced by many people in the name of freedom of expression and criticism. He also called on him to establish the rules of the humanitarian dialogue that is based on respecting the religious convictions and maintaining the role of reason in directing the different ideas.