By DPA
Cairo : A Yemeni Islamic preacher said Muslims are in a cultural war against the West, but added he believes dialogue is the best way to end the conflict despite the reprinting by Danish newspapers recently of cartoons deemed offensive to Islam, reports said Wednesday.
“We (the Muslims) are in a media and intellectual war against those who tarnish the image of Islam. Such war is even stronger than military war,” said al-Habibi al-Jafry in an interview with the independent Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm.
“However, I believe that we have to counter the argument logically, providing a correct image of Islam that would not allow them achieve their goals against our religion.”
Al-Jafry asserted that dialogue is the most effective way to argue against those who oppose Islam.
“We already managed to achieve this. Our preachers succeeded in convincing their Danish counterparts and youths to support our case instead of opposing it,” said al-Jafry.
He said a group of Danish youths have established a website to apologise to Muslims entitled “Sorry Mohammed”.
Two years ago, Danish newspapers published 12 cartoons of Prophet Mohammed, one of which showed him wearing a bomb shaped like a turban. The cartoons sparked violent protests in the Muslim world.
Danish newspapers reprinted the cartoons Feb 13, saying they wanted to show their firm commitment to freedom of expression following reports of a plot to kill Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who drew one of the cartoons.