By IINA
Riyadh : Prominent Saudi religious scholar Sheikh Salman Al Oudah said the reprinting of the cartoon was a “provocation” to 1.3 billion Muslims and freedom of expression should not be used to harm others. “The West enjoys a large measure of freedom of expression that does not exist in the Islamic world. But it’s not only a question of free expression. A play on the Sikhs was stopped in Britain in order to preserve social peace, and there are historians who have gone on trial for questioning the scale of the Holocaust,” AFP reported quoting Sheik Oudah as saying. A play seen by Sikhs as negatively portraying their faith was called off in Britain in late 2004 following violent protests among the community.
Sheik Oudah, who is secretary general of an organization of Islamic scholars and activists, set up two years ago to defend the Prophet Muhammad, said that acts offensive to Muslims are the work of “racists” who can be “isolated” if adequate efforts are made to explain the substance of Islam to the Western world. He said his organization would meet in Kuwait after two months and try to enlist entrepreneurs to fund concrete projects to convey the true message of Islam. But the attitude of Western governments concerned also has an impact on Muslim reactions, Sheik Oudah said. While the Danish government is perceived as an “accomplice” in the offence, the Dutch government is “trying to prevent (the broadcast of Wilders’ film) to the extent that its authority permits,” and this might tone down the Muslim reaction, he said.