By IINA,
Jeddah : A spokesman of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Observatory on Islamophobia expressed disappointment and dismay at the decision of the Western High Court of Aarhus in Denmark that the publishing of offensive cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in 2005 and reprinted earlier this year by 17 other Danish newspapers was not illegal under Danish law on the ground that terror acts were carried out in the name of Islam. In a statement, the spokesman made the remarks in response to the Associated Press news report published by several newspapers including the International Herald Tribune on June 20, 2008. He said that the Danish court ruling came as a surprise to the OIC at a time when almost all Western Governments including the USA had made categorical statements rejecting any linkages between Islam and terrorism.
The spokesman reiterated the principled position of the OIC and that of the OIC member states that terrorism had no connection with Islam or with any other religion and that its proponents were the common enemy of entire international community. He added that the linkage drawn by the Danish Court between Islam with terror to legalize the printing of the offensive cartoons and causing widespread insult to the sentiments of the Muslims was most unfortunate and that it could create a precedent for exacerbation of Islamophobia.