European Muslim Initiative

Press Release:

Movie on prophet Mohammed

After the release of a short incendiary movie; Innocence of Muslims, which stupidly and wrongly depicts the Prophet Mohammad as a sex-crazed sadist prone to acts of unspeakable violence, a womanizer, pedophile, and homosexual, and Islam as violent, dangerous and a cancer. The movie has caused wide spread demonstrations in many Muslim countries, resulting in violence against western embassies and tragic loss of life of 4 USA diplomats and of anti-film many demonstrators.

We, the representatives of EMISCO – European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion strongly condemn this senseless violence and regrettable loss of innocent life.

We are also grateful that Muslim communities, governments and NGOs have overwhelmingly condemned those who are behind these atrocities. We also appreciate that many Muslim political leaders have asked their citizens to demonstrate again this insulting and demonizing attempt in a peaceful and orderly manner. Many European Muslim civil society organizations advised their members and congregations to ignore this degrading provocation all together. They argued that Prophet Mohammad himself never reacted to castigation, he was subjected to.

All this is a very welcome development. Interfaith co-operation and living together requires peace and harmony among various cultures, faiths and ethnic groups.

However to sustain this positive direction, western governments and decision makers must make sure that 1.5 billion Muslims are not provoked time and again by anti-Islam and Islamophobic individuals, groups and movements in their part of the globe. Quran burning, anti-Islam hate propaganda through websites, books, movies, DVDs, You Tube films and political and church statements have become a regular occurrence. We need laws to safeguard the human rights of Muslims to practice their faith in peace and without demonization, often disguised under Freedom of Speech concept, for example, it has come out that Media for Christ, a USA company is behind the short film: ‘Innocence of Muslims’.

EMISCO is not asking for any special or preferential treatment for Muslim but will values equal treatment. We know that there are already laws in place in many western countries, which legally punishes holocaust denial, anti-Semitic utterances, hate speeches, homophobic statements, racial slurs and even blasphemy against Christianity. Is it not high time that Western governments take the issue of anti-Islam hate speech and Islamophobic propaganda seriously?