Thursday, January 15, 2015

Muslim Media Angered At New Charlie Hebdo Cartoon

Newspapers across the globe respond to the "survivors' edition" of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo - featuring a cartoon of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad - with a mixture of anger, concern and solidarity, according to BBC News.

"With new cover of French paper, a new set of fears," says the New York Times on its front page, adding that there is a "dread that Charlie Hebdo may prompt further violence".

In an op-ed piece in the paper, Turkish writer Mustafa Akyol calls on the Muslim world to ease its concept of blasphemy.

"Rage is a sign of nothing but immaturity," he says. "The power of any faith comes not from its coercion of critics and dissenters. It comes from the moral integrity and the intellectual strength of its believers."
'Open crusade'

Many Muslim Middle Eastern newspapers - even moderate ones - strongly criticise the magazine's front-page cartoon of Muhammad.

"Charlie Hebdo continues its provocation," reads a headline on the front page of Jordan's establishment daily Al-Dustour.

Several commentators urge France and other countries to outlaw the insulting of religions and religious figures, saying that failing to do so will only encourage Islamic extremism.

"I look forward to a French law that protects people's sanctities and beliefs from attack and ridicule," Idris al-Driss writes in the Saudi daily Al-Watan.

"Freedom of expression should end at and not cross the limits of offending others over their colour, race or religion," he adds. "Insulting religions should be legally treated as racism."

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