IUMS Statement on Publishing Anti-Prophet Cartoons in Denmark and Norway

By the International Union for Muslim Scholars

Jan. 29, 2006

Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, president of the IUMS

All praise is due to Allah, and may the peace and blessings of Allah be up on the Messenger of Allah and upon all the prophets and messengers.

The International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has observed with deep interest the issue of the publishing of cartoons that ridicule the Prophet, which in turn insults the feelings of millions of Muslims as they see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) depicted in an offensive manner. The drawings were first published in a Danish magazine on December 30, 2005, after which they were republished on January 10, 2006, in a Christian Norwegian magazine. These drawings were presented in a way that could never be acceptable to any person of good faith, nor ever approved of by any person having sound morals. This depiction is unbefitting of a prophet who delivered the divine message.

The IUMS waited for a long time hoping that efforts exerted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the Arab League, the Muslim World League, and a number of Arab and Muslim countries would result in receiving a proper apology for the offense that was committed by the Danish magazine and followed by the Norwegian magazine. However, this apology never came. The only reply from the Danish was that their prime minister reaffirmed that country's commitment to freedom of expression and condemned any statement or acts against certain groups or people because of their religion or ethnicity.

The IUMS considers that unclear statement as an attempt to intentionally avoid addressing the issue of these disturbing cartoons by speaking about minorities in general terms. This injures the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world as well as those of the 180,000 Danish Muslims who represent three percent of the population.

The IUMS asks Arab and Muslim governments to express to the Danish and Norwegian governments their Muslim people's anger at this direct insult of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by the publishing of these offensive cartoons. Arab and Muslim governments should also exercise all possible political and diplomatic pressure on the Danish and Norwegian governments so as to halt all such organized anti-Islam campaigns that aim at spreading hatred of and contempt for Islam, its sanctities, and its believers.

The IUMS asks Arab and Muslim countries to boycott an upcoming Middle East exhibition organized by the Danish Center for Culture and Development (DCCD).

The IUMS urges officials in Denmark and Norway to take a firm stance against these repeated insults to the Muslim nation and the Prophet who is followed by 1.3 billion people across the globe, in order to preserve the positive relationship that exists between these two nations and their citizen Muslims as well as other Muslims worldwide. If this does not happen, the IUMS will be forced to urge millions of Muslims across the world to boycott all Danish and Norwegian products and activities.

If the Danish and Norwegian governments make so little of Muslims' feelings, then boycotting  is the least that every Muslim should do, and the least that every da`iyah and scholar should call for in response to the flagrant abuse of depicting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in such offensive caricatures. We call upon these countries to come to their senses and to offer a proper and clear apology to the international Muslim community.

And Allah has full power and control over His affairs.

All praises be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.