Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be upon Him), is the central figure of the world’s second largest and fastest growing faith. The contributions made by the followers of Islam to human civilization in general and the European Renaissance in particular are a testament to the cultural, scientific, and academic achievements of the Muslim World. One of Denmark’s most prominent newspapers decided to depict Islam’s most revered human figure as a ‘ticking bomb’. We feel that the sensitivities of Muslims and Islam should be respected the same way as the sensitivities of the Jews and Judaism is respected in Europe by the European governments.

Although we are convinced about the merits of fettered free speech and favor its application in Islamic societies; we are totally horrified by the hypocrisy of certain European states. Freedom of speech does not allow one the freedom to propargate religious hatred. What have the publications of the cartoons achieved for Europe? Nothing but enmity and dislike from hundreds and thousands of Muslims across the world. Furthermore, it’s the hypocrisy of the Europeans, which makes the situation even more inconclusive. Ever heard of the Anti-revisionist law currently under application in states such as Germany, France, Belgium and a handful of other countries?

Although we completely condemn the acts of the Nazi regime in general and their crimes against the Jews in particular, we do not understand why the Peoples’ of Europe in certain countries do not have the right to discuss the historical accuracy or inaccuracy of the holocaust. Personally, we feel that the holocaust was one of the worst atrocities in the 20th century. We are not here arguing in favor of the revisionists nor are we picking a bone with the traditionalists, all we are doing is noting out the blatant hypocrisy. We today live in the modern world; with just 10 clicks of a mouse one can receive tons of information. Sketching disrespectful pictures of the most admired prophet in Islam is okay with the concept of freedom of speech? Mocking Islam’s central figure in a tremendously inappropriate way is okay? Drawing a turban of him in the shape of a ticking bomb is okay? But when the right-wing English historian David Irving criticizes the credibility of our current perceptions of the holocaust, he is locked up behind bars in Vienna and charged with legal cases. Where is the justice in this? How can something so irrational and hypocritical be sanctioned by the Europeans? You can not have it both ways. Making a mockery out of Muslims disguised under the guise of freedom is considered a great service to the cause of free speech; David Irving’s views are suppressed just because he wants to analyze the Holocaust differently! What hypocrisy!

The sensitivities of all Muslims across the planet have been hurt. The fact that we are lectured by the very righteous so-called defenders of freedom on every other international forum is just reflective of this great double-standard. Remember the evil Taliban? They had laws which heavily fined and jailed Afghani citizens who disagreed with the mantra of the Taliban. In essence, there is little difference between the coercive nature of the Taliban laws and the anti-revisionist laws. As the old Urdu idiom goes, “Take a look in your collar before preaching to others”.