Jordan Times
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Jordan backs efforts to fight offences on Islam — King
EU condemns prophet cartoons, violent response
AMMAN (Agencies) — His Majesty King Abdullah on
Wednesday said the Kingdom strongly supports efforts to secure a UN resolution
against offences on Islam, the prophets and other monotheistic religions, the
Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
King Abdullah told EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana that the cartoons
published in some European newspapers insulting the Prophet Mohammad cannot be
justified under any pretext of freedom of expression, Petra said.
UN officials in Geneva said on Tuesday that Muslim countries are pressing for a
ban on religious intolerance to be part of the bedrock of a planned new United
Nations human rights body.
There have also been calls across the Muslim world for a separate UN resolution
on respect for religions, according to Agence France-Presse.
The King called on the EU and all European governments to put an end to such
offences, which provoked all Muslims.
The European Union on Wednesday condemned both the publishing of cartoons and
the subsequent “systematic incitement” to violence against European diplomatic
missions by some governments.
Austrian President Heinz Fischer, whose country holds the EU presidency, told
the European Parliament that freedom of expression, which is seen in Western
nations as an overriding principle, must not go against the need to protect
religious sensitivities and values of other cultures.
“If a ban on pictorial representation constitutes an essential element of a
religion, one ought not and must not offend against this principle twice — not
only by disrespecting this ban, but also by reinforcing this hurtful violation
of a taboo in the form of a caricature,” he said.
King Abdullah hailed Solana's effort, saying that Jordan backs steps that seek
to enhance mutual understanding and respect around the world.
The Monarch also warned against any attempts to “exploit the issue to sow hatred
between religions.”
“It is important that the expression of anger and condemnation for what happened
occur in a way that reflects the truth about Islam as a religion of moderation,”
the King said.
Talks between the King and Solana also covered the Palestinian situation and
Iraq.
Solana was in Jordan as part of a Mideast tour in an effort to stem the
controversy over the caricatures.
“I would like to express very clearly that the European Union people do respect
the countries of this part of the world... and don't want to offend anybody,”
Solana was quoted by AFP as telling a news conference after talks with Foreign
Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib.
“It is our wish to [narrow] the bridges that should have never been damaged... I
would like to repeat it: The respect for the people that belong to this land is
total. The respect to any religion is total.”
But he admitted that he could not “guarantee that everybody in the world is
going to be full of common sense.”