[Kabar-indonesia] Moderate Muslims Urged to Speak Out

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Moderate Muslims Urged to Speak Out

By JAN M. OLSEN, Associated Press Writer

COPENHAGEN, October 1 (AP) -- Moderate Muslims must
take a stand against extremists, speakers said
Saturday at a conference marking a year since the
publication of Prophet Muhammad cartoons that led to
violent demonstrations in Muslim countries.

The 12 drawings, first published in the Danish daily
Jyllands-Posten in September, were reprinted in
several European countries four months later,
prompting angry mobs to attack Western embassies in
countries including Lebanon, Iran and Indonesia.

The cartoons, which included a drawing of the prophet
with a bomb-shaped turban, were seen as highly
insulting by many followers of Islam, which is
interpreted as barring even respectful images of
Muhammad for fear of prompting idolatry.

Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian-born journalist and
commentator based in New York City, urged moderate
Muslims to speak up against violent reactions like the
massive protests and riots in late January and
February.

Syrian-born psychologist Wafa Sultan said moderate
Muslims have always struggled to make their voice
heard even within their own religion, but that the
cartoon uproar gave them a platform to present their
ideas to the whole world.

"The cartoon crisis was the first step to break out of
the box in which we have been sitting since the 7th
century," Sultan said, referring to the time of
Islam's founding. "We as Muslims must learn to listen
to others' opinion."

The one-day conference held in Copenhagen was
organized by Denmark's Democratic Muslims network,
co-founded in February by Naser Khader, a Syrian-born
member of the Danish Parliament. Some 200 people
attended and it attracted speakers from around the
world.

Earlier this week, the Deutsche Opera in Berlin
decided to cancel a production of Mozart's "Idomeneo"
with a scene featuring the severed heads of Jesus,
Buddha and Muhammad, after Berlin security officials
said they could not guarantee the opera house's
security in the event of violent protests.

The incident was the latest in Europe involving
religious sensitivities. Pope Benedict XVI infuriated
Muslims on Sept. 12 by quoting a 14th century
Byzantine emperor who characterized some Islamic
teachings as "evil and inhuman."

"The reaction to the cartoons, then to the Pope's
remarks and the opera in Berlin, are making more and
more young Muslims aware of a certain rigid strain of
Islam that is pushing its way into the West," Canadian
author Irshad Manji said.

"I call that kind of Islam 'fundamentalism.' It
sanctifies everything that is related to the founding
moment in the 7th century the Prophet Muhammad and the
Quran," the author said.

A poll published Saturday showed a majority of Danes
still support the decision to print the cartoons.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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