First Denmark And Now This!
Saturday, 01 September 2007
MPACUK

A year on from the Danish Cartoon row another Nordic newspaper has published cartoons insulting the Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him. This time the culprit is Sweden's Nerikes Allehanda newspaper which has published a cartoon depicting the face of the Prophet on the body of a dog!

This is a disturbing development as it comes just 1 year after the Danish cartoon row and signals a rising trend in Islamophobia on the Continent.

Printing content like this achieves nothing positive, instead it results in the further isolation of Muslims and plays into the hands of extremists who will use this is as propaganda and poison impressionable young minds.

Freedom of expression must go hand in hand with the duty to act responsibly. What about the right of people to live in peace with their neighbours, is this not a democratic right that we must also protect and uphold?

By publishing this cartoon both the artist and newspaper have shown recklessness as their actions will create further mistrust, suspicion and hatred between communities. Do we allow such "expressions of freedom" even if they incite hatred?

We urge you to take action but in a non-violent and peaceful way and register your protest with the Swedish Embassy in London.

Be firm & polite and refrain from using threatening or abusive language.

Email: ambassaden.london@foreign.ministry.se

Address:

Embassy of Sweden
11 Montagu Place
London
W1H 2AL

Source: BBC