Muslim Scholars Urge Religious Respect, Introducing Islam

Some 300 Muslim scholars are exploring a strategy to prevent a repeat of the Prophet depiction in lampooning cartoons.

By Wessam Fauad, IOL Correspondent

MANAMA, March 23, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – Muslim scholars taking part in a two-day conference in Bahrain have called for the respect of all religions and agreed on the need for continued efforts to promote the truce image of Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) in the West.

Addressing the opening session late Wednesday, March 23, prominent Muslim Scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi underlined the need to respect all religions, including atheism.

He said such respect would prevent the recurrence of crises like the one triggered by the Danish caricatures which mocked Prophet Muhammad.

Al-Qaradawi, chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, urged preachers and media people to defend Prophet Muhammad by promoting his merciful teachings.

Some 300 Muslim scholars are huddling together in Manama to explore a strategy to prevent a repeat of the Prophet depiction in lampooning cartoons.

Six imams from Denmark, where the controversy originated, are also taking part in the conference.

Twelve cartoons, including one showing the Prophet with a bomb-shaped turban, were first published by Danish daily Jyllands-Posten in September and reprinted by European newspapers on claims of freedom of _expression.

The drawings, considered blasphemous under Islam, have triggered massive and sometimes violent demonstrations across the Muslim world.

Introducing Islam

Participants called for promoting the true image of Islam and the Prophet in the West.

The participants agreed on the need for organized and continued efforts to promote the truce image of Islam on the West.

"We have a golden chance to address the European and Western public opinion to tell them about our Prophet and our religion," said Hassan Moussa, the chairman of the Imams Council in Sweden.

Egyptian television preacher Amr Khaled agreed.

"Dialogue is a tool to promote awareness in Western societies of what is sacred to Muslims," he told the conference.

He called for grooming young Muslims to be able to introduce their faith to the Western mentality in a discourse non-Muslims would be able to understand.

The same viewpoint was echoed by Soliman Al-Buthi, spokesman of the two-day conference.

"We believe that the (cartoon) incident was because of ignorance about the Prophet," he said.

He said economic boycott of the Danish products was one of the means to combat the ignorance and protest about what has happened.

"But we need to educate the West about who the Prophet was and to have an open dialogue with the West."

The cartoons have prompted Muslim minorities in many Western countries to champion local campaigns to raise awareness of the merits and characteristics of the Prophet in West.