Black-hooded gunmen shot dead at least 11 people at the Paris office of the satirical newspaper Charlie Bebdo, a publication firebomb which published a cartoon lampooning Muslim leaders and Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), according the police. It wasn't the first time that Western publications published insulting cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). As far as I can remember, a Danish publication had also published insulting cartoon of the Prophet (pbuh). Let me ask why such insulting cartoons are being published repeatedly? What message they want to send through such insulting caricatures? The purpose of such caricatures is nothing but to hurt the Muslim sentiments. Twelve cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were pulished in a Danish newspaper on September 30, 2005 and thereafter — in the name of press freedom and freedom of expression — in a Norwegian paper on January 8, 2006. A cartoon of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wearing a turban with a time bomb was also published in an Indian Hindi magazine “Senior India” on January 8, 2006. Worldwide, protests was organized by Muslims against these publibations. They were flayed by the international community. The United Nations, European Union and the Organization of Islamic Conference expressed alarm over the worldwide phenomenon of insulting Muslims. “We are deeply alarmed at the repercussions of the publication in Denmark of insulting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the subsequent republication by some other European newspapers, and at the violent acts that have occurred in reaction to them,” said the representative of an organization. “We fully uphold the right of free speech but we understand the deep hurt and widespread indignation felt in the Muslim world,” said a joint statement signed by the then UN Chief Kofi Annan, European Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana and OIC Secretary General Ekmeluddin Ihsanoglu. “We believe that freedom of the press entails responsibility and direction and should respect the beliefs and tenets of all religions.” Despite this pleadings, insulting cartoons had been published repeatedly, the latest being that of Charlie Hebdo. No religious personality and icon should be insulted in the name of press freedom. Every religion should be respected. Dr. Noorul Hasan, India
