Tuesday, June 26, 2018

The Observatory for Monitoring Islamophobia at Egypt's Dar al-Ifta vehemently condemned the Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders' call to hold a Prophet Muhammad cartoon competition at his party’s parliamentary offices.

The Observatory noted in a news statement that the cartoon depiction of Prophet Muhammad provokes the feelings of Muslims inside and outside Netherlands, ignites turmoil, fuels the feelings of hatred and discrimination and finally comes in the interests of terrorists and extremists groups.

"Respecting religious sanctities in general does not violate the freedom of speech," the Observatory stated. It added that respecting religious sanctities and symbols is one of the most important rights of nations and peoples and it is the duty of governments and regimes worldwide to protect such sanctities against violations or deliberate distortion.

The Observatory called on the Dutch Parliament to reject the establishment of such competitions that defame Islam and Muslims, and to counter the far-right wings that feed, through its black propaganda, the violent extremist groups.