In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

Dear Brothers & Sisters, ladies and gentlemen

The recent extremely offensive caricatures of the beloved Prophet of Islam has exposed the surfacing of an increasingly islamophobic stance towards Muslims in parts of the Western media. All involved in the media must exercise restraint, sensitivity and common sense when dealing with issues like these.

As a Muslim, I am deeply offended by these cartoons, but I take example from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who rose above such abuse which he faced in his own lifetime. He showed patience and tolerance at the most testing moments. This does not lessen the anger I feel, but it does provide an example by which to respond.

I would like to express our condemnation of the decision to publish these images in Denmark and view their republication in other countries as a deliberate and senseless act of provocation because having witnessed passion and sadness spilled in the streets of Beirut, Damascus, Khartoum, Kula Lumpur, Islamabad, Gaza, Tehran Latin America Karakas, many editors decided to reprint the cartoons, hiding behind the misused excuse ‘freedom of expression’. As a French revolutionary Madame Roland in 1793 once said; “O liberty! O liberty! What crimes are committed in thy name!”

The decision to reprint the images was nothing short of a crime, incitement to religious hatred, an act of defiance, of pure provocation; it is the ultimate illustration of contempt and disregard for Muslims. Knowing that as Muslims, our love towards our prophet exceeds that to our parents, siblings and even our children

Yes we value democracy; yes we value freedom of speech, but freedom of speech without a sense of responsibility without the application of commonsense, without regard to what others hold sacred equates to nothing but trouble. Imagine a country without traffic lights.

As Muslim women working on the forefront of fighting Islamophobia, specifically when it is manifested in the form of the Hijab ban, we realise that we cannot afford to allow any religious intolerance to succeed, as it inevitably snowballs into wider discriminations.

Therefore, on this issue, we call for all those newspapers who vindictively and deliberately published those offensive images to apologise sincerely and unreservedly for the offence caused and more importantly to guarantee it doesn’t happen again. There is a limit to every freedom, and freedom of speech is no different. It should be exercised responsibly by both non-Muslims and Muslims alike.

We ask for Muslims to be afforded the same respect as other religious and ethnic groups when freedom of speech is being exercised by the media.

Thank you!