GCC Secretary General calls for the confronting of campaigns against Islam
GCC secretary general Abdulrahman Al-Atiyyah has called for the confronting of the vicious campaigns launched against Islam and its institutions in Europe.
Al-Atiyyah, who was addressing a press conference here yesterday, urged the European parliament to enact the required legislations that could prevent any form of insult to Islam.
At his press conference, attended by high representative for the European common foreign and security policy, and the secretary general of the council of the European Union, Al-Atiyyah underlined the importance of joint Islamic-European efforts for the issuing a resolution by the UN and its concerned bodies, to prevent any form of insult to the Prophets.
'It is high time for the European countries to take the required measures ro prevent any form of insult by the European media to religious beliefs and the Prophets', he said.
'I have made it clear that such irresponsible behavior constitutes a violation of human values stipulated in the international conventions and resolutions, and I have said that it is high time for the Danish authorities to apologise officially and to take the required measures to prevent recurrence of such a violation', he elaborated.
'We respect the western principles pertaining to freedom of expression, but we would like to call on the westerners to behave in a responsible manner', he said noting that the principle of responsibility is an indivisible part of freedom'.
Al-Atiyyah warned against the adverse impact of printing cartoons of Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, on the future of dialogue between civilizations and religions.
At the same time, Al-Atiyyah criticized violations which had accompanied demonstrations staged by some Muslims to protest against the printing of cartoons of their Prophet. 'Muslims should defend Islam and their Prophet through reasonable means which don't run counter to the teachings of their Prophet', he concluded.