Anti-Prophet Cartoons: Muslims' Role

Question :

I think all of you have heard about the cartoons that have caused anger across the Muslim world since they were published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten last September, and were reprinted in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, among other European countries. As a reactionary measure, Muslims began to boycott Danish products but the fierce campaign against the Prophet increased as if some European countries are making a counterattack against the reactions of Muslims and the boycott, which has caused the loss of millions of euros to Denmark.

How should Muslims react to such continous fierce campaigns throughout the world? How can Muslims take both official and non-official actions to put a quick end to the current media campaign against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?

Answer: By Husaain Halawa, Ahmad Kutty

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Thanks for your question, and we implore Allah earnestly to rescue the Muslim Ummah from all sources of evil encroaching Islam and Muslims everywhere.

The fierce media campaign against the Prophet is actually a single incident in a series of measures that have been practiced on a wide scale by some people in the West whose influential positions cause their voices to become heard in the world media. It is not actually a common case in the European context, as such campaigns are backed by some members, not the whole European family.

The role of all Muslims worldwide is to take all legal and constitutional channels to champion their rights and repel the aggression done against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), using all peaceful means to disseminate the true teachings of Islam. Muslims should seize this incident to shed more light on the great nature and enlightenment of the Prophet Muhammad in an attempt to educate those who ignore many aspects of his great character and how he can be a model to follow in today's world.

Responding to the question, Sheikh Hussain Halawa, secretary general of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, and imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of Ireland, states the following:

First of all, I would like to stress that the caricatures, which have caused anger across the Muslim world since they were published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten last September and were reprinted in many European capitals, are one of the single measures within a systematic media campaign that aims at tarnishing the image of Islam. This media campaign is led by the people whose keen interest is to deteriorate the relations between Muslims and people of other religions. That is why we see them, from time to time, publishing provocative statements, books, laws, and lately cartoons that are no more than an extra measure within a larger context.

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