• Home
  • News
    • Nigeria
    • Africa
    • Middle East
    • World
    • Features
    • Interviews
    • New Edition
    • Muslim News
  • Analysis
    • Islam & Media
  • Perspectives
    • Opinion
    • Press Releases
    • Editorial
    • Letters
    • Al-Fahm
  • Islam-tainment
    • Sports
    • Arts
    • Poetry
  • Multimedia
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Photos
    • Investigations
  • iGuide
    • Testimony
    • Salah
    • Zakat
    • Fasting
    • Muslim Personalities
  • Contact Us
    • Submit Article
    • How to place your advert on Muslim News
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Muslim News Nigeria
  • Home
  • News
    • Nigeria
    • Africa
    • Middle East
    • World
    • Features
    • Interviews
    • New Edition
    • Muslim News
  • Analysis
    • Islam & Media
  • Perspectives
    • Opinion
    • Press Releases
    • Editorial
    • Letters
    • Al-Fahm
  • Islam-tainment
    • Sports
    • Arts
    • Poetry
  • Multimedia
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Photos
    • Investigations
  • iGuide
    • Testimony
    • Salah
    • Zakat
    • Fasting
    • Muslim Personalities
  • Contact Us
    • Submit Article
    • How to place your advert on Muslim News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Nigeria
    • Africa
    • Middle East
    • World
    • Features
    • Interviews
    • New Edition
    • Muslim News
  • Analysis
    • Islam & Media
  • Perspectives
    • Opinion
    • Press Releases
    • Editorial
    • Letters
    • Al-Fahm
  • Islam-tainment
    • Sports
    • Arts
    • Poetry
  • Multimedia
    • Audio
    • Video
    • Photos
    • Investigations
  • iGuide
    • Testimony
    • Salah
    • Zakat
    • Fasting
    • Muslim Personalities
  • Contact Us
    • Submit Article
    • How to place your advert on Muslim News
No Result
View All Result
Muslim News Nigeria
No Result
View All Result

How protest in Pakistan halted Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Netherlands

Muslim News Nigeria by Muslim News Nigeria
September 1, 2018
in Middle East, Muslim News
0
How protest in Pakistan halted Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Netherlands

Hundreds of people gathered in Pakistan to protest a controversial cartoon contest by Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders[K.M. Chaudary/AP] Hundreds of people gathered in Pakistan to protest a controversial cartoon contest by Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders[K.M. Chaudary/AP]

Dutch far-right and anti-Islam lawmaker, Geert Wilders has cancelled indefinitely his proposed Prophet Muhammad (SAW) cartoon contest, amid a mass, organised protest against the event in Pakistan.

The anti-Islam lawmaker, Geert Wilders Credit: Reuters

The controversial cartoon contest, slated for November 2018 in the Dutch-speaking country, was halted following massive protests in Pakistan. No fewer than 10,000 Pakistanis joined the protest from the Eastern city of Lahore to Islamabad, with heavy security presence.

The organizer of the protest, Pakistan-Labaik Islamist political party, called on the newly elected Prime Minister Imran Khan to cut diplomatic ties with the Netherlands.

Pakistan’s government vowed to protest the contest at the United Nations in September, until yesterday when the initiator suspended it indefinitely over security concerns.

Wilders, who is known for his incendiary speeches and protests against immigration and Islam, said; “To avoid the risk of victims of Islamic violence, I have decided not to let the cartoon contest go ahead.”

The Dutch Prime Minister has since distanced his government from the controversial Prophet Muhammad cartoon competition. Prime Minister Mark Rutte told a weekly press conference that the anti-Islam opposition leader is not a member of the government.

“The competition is not a government initiative,” he said, exonerating his government from all possible blame.

Stijn van Kessel, a political scientist at Queen Mary University of London, told Al Jazeera that the competition was a tactic by Wilders to get media attention in the face of waning public support.

“He is not truly interested in a cartoon contest, but this is a way for him to generate media attention; he hopes that will eventually translate to votes,” Kessel said.

READ ALSO...  Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an insight into the persona of the two-time winner of Muslim News Global Muslim Personality

Effects of Peaceful Protests

For Ibn Taofeeq AbdulAzeez, a Nigeria-born Middle Eastern Studies scholar, if the Pakistanis had not protested against the cartoon contest, Wilders would have gone on to ridicule the Prophet of Islam under the so-called freedom of speech convention.

He said the aftermath could have been disastrous.

“This is similar to what happened in 2005/06. A Danish newspaper and other mainstream media drew 12 cartoons of the Prophet, and things turned violent in different parts of the world.

“The word ‘protest’ often comes with a negative stigma attached”, Ibn Taofeeq said, stressing that: “This stigma should be changed. Protest should be portrayed as a good thing.”

Hundreds of people gathered in Pakistan to protest a controversial cartoon contest by Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders[K.M. Chaudary/AP]

Ibn Taofeeq called for peaceful protests devoid of riots that could lead to revolutions, loss of lives and vandalisation of property.

“Serious Muslims should always know that protesting should be towards a goal e.g. forbidding bad acts such as drawing cartoons of the Prophet (SAW) or asking Muslim sisters to remove their Hijabs. These acts are not allowed in Islam and they must be resisted by Muslims through peaceful protests, among other peaceful means.

“Protests remind us, the people, that we are powerful and that our voices matter. That we are important and we have the ability to make big changes in our world”, he said.

“It is forbidden to show depictions of the Prophet (SAW)”

Ibn Taofeeq said drawing of Prophet Muhammad’s image(s) is forbidden in Islam, noting that the Prophet frowned at it while he was alive.

According to him, it could lead to Shirk (associating partners with Allah), and Islam came to prevent all means that may lead to idolatry. There are several authentic sayings of the Prophet (SAW) against depictions of Allah and His messengers, either good or bad.

“Islam came to prevent all means that may lead to Shirk or the association of others in worship with Allaah. Among these means is the making of images, so the Sharee’ah forbids making images, and curses the one who does that, and a strong warning is issued to the one who does that.

“Hence, those who look for trouble by insulting other people’s religious beliefs, symbols or personalities all in the name of freedom of speech should desist from such acts in the interest of peace and love”, he concluded.

  • By Rasheed Abubakar /Twitter @rawshield123
Post Views: 979

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
Tags: Geert WildersImran KhanMark RutteNetherlandsPakistanTaofeeq AbdulAzeez

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Translate

About Us

Muslim News, a publication of Rawshield PR Media, is a mouthpiece for underreported Muslim achievers and events in Nigeria and across the world, which are never given prominence in the mainstream media.

Email: info@muslimnews.com.ng
Tel: +234 805 240 4597

Our Mission

To give special media attention and coverage to important people and events in the life of Muslims that do not gain mainstream media attention, and to change the media narrative of blaming Islam and Muslims for offences committed in its lofty name.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

About Us

Muslim News, a publication of Rawshield PR Media, is a mouthpiece for underreported Muslim achievers and events in Nigeria and across the world, which are never given prominence in the mainstream media.

Email: info@muslimnews.com.ng
Tel: +234 906 869 5152

Our Mission

To give special media attention and coverage to important people and events in the life of Muslims that do not gain mainstream media attention, and to change the media narrative of blaming Islam and Muslims for offences committed in its lofty name.

Editorial Policy

We shall be fair to all persons, irrespective of their religions and ideologies, as long as that promotes the image of Islam and unites the Muslims. We shall also uphold the ethical standards of journalism, as allowed by Islamic ethics.

  • Home
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Perspectives
  • Islam-tainment
  • Multimedia
  • iGuide
  • Contact Us

© 2020 Published by RawshieldPR - Designed by: STAINLESS COMPUTERS.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Nigeria News
  • Africa News
  • Middle East News
  • World News
  • Sports News
  • Submit Article
  • Support Muslim News Nigeria

© 2020 Published by RawshieldPR - Designed by: STAINLESS COMPUTERS.

Subscribe for updates

Get all the latest in your email

Enter your email address to subscribe

Support Muslim News

Journalism takes time and requires money. But we have to keep going. Your generous donation will be appreciated.

DONATE NOW

or share the word

Share on whatsapp
Share on telegram
Share on facebook
Share on twitter

Close. Thank you