Thursday, February 09, 2006

Muslims call for changes in law

BBC reports Muslim scholars who gathered for an emergency meeting have called for changes to the law to stop images of the Prophet Muhammad being published. Members of the Muslim Action Committee (MAC) who met in Birmingham called for changes to the Race Relations Act and the Press Complaints Commission code.
Do they somehow think that a British law is going to prevent publication in Denmark?
They are to stage a protest march in London on 18 February, expected to attract 20,000 to 50,000 people. The MAC was responding to the cartoons which satirise Muhammad. Shaikh Faiz Saddiqi, who chaired the meeting, said Wednesday's gathering of about 300 Islamic religious leaders was the largest meeting of its kind he knew of in his 25 years of living in the UK. 'Deeply offensive' He said the MAC was meeting to bring cohesion to the debate among Muslims about how to respond to the publication of the cartoons in a Danish newspaper and their subsequent repetition in other countries. The discussions among the religious leaders, who had travelled to an Islamic centre in Small Heath from across the UK, lasted for two hours. What kicks can you get out of seeing this caricature, except to insult the Prophet of Islam?
What kicks to all of the Arab press get from the daily cartoons they run about the Jews.
Shaikh Faiz Saddiqi Mr Saddiqi said they had concluded they wanted the Race Relations Act modified to give Muslims the same protection as Sikhs or Jews.
What do Jews care about images of Muhammad? And does the law stop publication of the cartoons in the Arab press?
He also said the Press Complaints Commission code of conduct should be tightened to prevent publication of any images of Muhammad, but added the clerics accepted criticism and discussion of Islam should be allowed.

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