I wish I had found this group sooner
April 28, 2008 at 4:48 am (Habib Allah, Why They Hate Us-The Muslim Edition)
And guess what? This young man was honored by the Mahabba Awards for Event of the Year.
CAIRO — Provoked by the re-printing of a cartoon lampooning Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) by Danish newspapers, Danish young man Anders Botter has stood up and be counted, taking his case of defending the other’s religious sensibilities to the popular social website Facebook to say “Sorry Muhammad.”
“As an average Danish citizen, my primary goal with this Facebook group is to say that ‘I’m sorry’ to all those ordinary Muslims around the world, who have been offended by the cartoons of prophet Muhammed (sic),” Botter said in a live dialogue on IslamOnline.net.
Botter, 27, says he launched “Undskyld Muhammed” or sorry Muhammad in English to spark a constructive debate about limits of freedom of expression in a secular and democratic Denmark.
“I’m 100% support the freedom of speech – but I also respect the religious views and feelings of other people,” he said.
So, this is just a friendly reminder to those Muslims who think that all non-Muslims are out to get us. Let’s judge folks one at a time, not in big lumps. :-) The Danes can’t be all that bad. After all, they make those yummy butter cookies.
db said,
April 28, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I have always thought it alittle silly for Muslims (I am one as well) to call for a boycott on the entire Danish people just because one newspaper editor and his small group of friends decided to print some distasteful cartoons. We as an Ummah could have gained so much had we acted in a dignified manner. Though I do not let the anti Muslim Public Relations people off the hook, they are bound to do that are they not? Muslims should be smart and aware about the world they live in and they should not act like barbarians in the name of Islam.
Ann said,
April 29, 2008 at 7:13 am
Assalaamu alaikum,
Db, I’m just curious about what would have been “acting in a dignified manner”. In fact, there were many peaceful protests in front of Danish embassies in Muslim countries, and alhamdulillah, this incident triggered a lot of lectures and activities praising the Prophet (pbuh).
But what’s wrong with boycotting their products? It’s the kind of nonviolent action that everyone says we should do, instead of something violent. Money talks, and if their profits are affected, than the Danish companies might put some pressure somewhere to make a difference. Besides, if I’m in a supermarket in the Gulf, for example, and there is butter and cheese made by Gulf companies, why should I be buying Lurpak butter and Puck cheese anyway?
And it wasn’t just one rogue newspaper editor. If you remember, most of the Danish people - and most Europeans - supported the publication of the cartoons, in the name of freedom, and several other European newspapers and magazines printed them to show their solidarity with the Danish newspaper.
JDsg said,
April 30, 2008 at 1:59 am
Salaam ‘alaikum.
Exactly right, Ann! I still boycott Danish products.
Aaminah said,
April 30, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Asalaamu alaikum.
Are you kidding me? I still boycott Coca-Cola products from back in the days of Aparteid (when I was a youngun)! Thank you Ann! There is nothing more civilized and “dignified” than a simple product boycott. And that is the beauty of having options - which many of us in “First World” nations should recognize the privilege of. I can go into a store and choose from 10 or 20 different cheese options; why, given that opportunity, should I choose a Danish product and support them when I could choose to support a local company or at least a company that I feel has sound practices? What is so barbaric about that?