OIC plans to sue Charlie Hebdo over offensive caricatures
Secretary General of OIC says freedom of speech has its limits and must not offend others
PHOTO: AFP
As protests against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo continue in several Muslim countries, Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation announced on Monday plans to sue the controversial French magazine for publishing sacrilegious caricatures.
Secretary General of the organisation Iyad Madani while speaking to reporters in Riyadh said that freedom of speech has its limits and must not offend others.
Madani added the caricatures from the “survivor issue” of the magazine have hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world.
Following an attack on the magazine on January 12, Charlie Hebdo published a caricature of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) on its cover for its “survivor issue.”
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According to The Independent, the former culture minister told a Saudi newspaper, “OIC is studying Europe and French laws and other available procedures to be able to take legal action against Charlie Hebdo.”
“If French laws allow us to take legal procedures against Charlie Hebdo, OIC will not hesitate to prosecute the French magazine.”
On his personal Twitter feed, Madani added: “These cartoons have hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world.”
“Freedom of speech must not become a hate speech and must not offend others. No sane person, irrespective of doctrine, religion or faith, accepts his beliefs being ridiculed,” he said.
The OIC has 57 member states across North Africa and the Middle East, among others, as well as permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. Madani was nominated to be its secretary general by Saudi Arabia, and elected at the end of 2013.
Madani’s comments come as seething anger fuelled by the publication of blasphemous cartoons by Charlie Hebdo sweep across the Muslim world.
RELATED POST: Blasphemous cartoons: Muslim anger boils over
In Niger, police fired tear gas on an opposition protest held in defiance of a ban declared by the government in the aftermath of anti-Charlie Hebdo protests.
Protesters against the Charlie Hebdo cartoons have set churches on fire, attacked bars and police stations and killed 10 people across the capital Niamey.
RELATED POST: 4 dead, 45 injured in Niger as protests over Charlie Hebdo rage from Asia to Africa
In Gaza, vandals sprayed graffiti on the walls of the French Cultural Centre. “You will go to hell, French journalists,” read one of the slogans daubed on the walls of the cultural centre compound, which has been closed since it was damaged in a fire last October.
RELATED POST: Gaza graffiti protest over Charlie Hebdo cartoon
While, in Karachi clashes erupted when the police stopped the protesters belonging to the student wing of politico-religious Jamaat-e-Islami from marching towards the French Consulate. Over a dozen people – including AFP photojournalist Asif Hassan and four policemen – were wounded in the scuffle that lasted for more than an hour.
While, Kenyan and South African papers apologised for running Charlie Hebdo cover.
RELATED POST: Kenyan, South African papers apologise for running Charlie Hebdo cover
Secretary General of the organisation Iyad Madani while speaking to reporters in Riyadh said that freedom of speech has its limits and must not offend others.
Madani added the caricatures from the “survivor issue” of the magazine have hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world.
Following an attack on the magazine on January 12, Charlie Hebdo published a caricature of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) on its cover for its “survivor issue.”
RELATED POST: At least 12 killed in Paris massacre
According to The Independent, the former culture minister told a Saudi newspaper, “OIC is studying Europe and French laws and other available procedures to be able to take legal action against Charlie Hebdo.”
“If French laws allow us to take legal procedures against Charlie Hebdo, OIC will not hesitate to prosecute the French magazine.”
On his personal Twitter feed, Madani added: “These cartoons have hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world.”
“Freedom of speech must not become a hate speech and must not offend others. No sane person, irrespective of doctrine, religion or faith, accepts his beliefs being ridiculed,” he said.
The OIC has 57 member states across North Africa and the Middle East, among others, as well as permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. Madani was nominated to be its secretary general by Saudi Arabia, and elected at the end of 2013.
Madani’s comments come as seething anger fuelled by the publication of blasphemous cartoons by Charlie Hebdo sweep across the Muslim world.
RELATED POST: Blasphemous cartoons: Muslim anger boils over
In Niger, police fired tear gas on an opposition protest held in defiance of a ban declared by the government in the aftermath of anti-Charlie Hebdo protests.
Protesters against the Charlie Hebdo cartoons have set churches on fire, attacked bars and police stations and killed 10 people across the capital Niamey.
RELATED POST: 4 dead, 45 injured in Niger as protests over Charlie Hebdo rage from Asia to Africa
In Gaza, vandals sprayed graffiti on the walls of the French Cultural Centre. “You will go to hell, French journalists,” read one of the slogans daubed on the walls of the cultural centre compound, which has been closed since it was damaged in a fire last October.
RELATED POST: Gaza graffiti protest over Charlie Hebdo cartoon
While, in Karachi clashes erupted when the police stopped the protesters belonging to the student wing of politico-religious Jamaat-e-Islami from marching towards the French Consulate. Over a dozen people – including AFP photojournalist Asif Hassan and four policemen – were wounded in the scuffle that lasted for more than an hour.
While, Kenyan and South African papers apologised for running Charlie Hebdo cover.
RELATED POST: Kenyan, South African papers apologise for running Charlie Hebdo cover