A diplomatic rift opened between Pakistan and The Netherlands after populist right-wing Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders announced in June a Prophet Muhammad cartoon competition with a $10,000 prize.
That row was fueled by Pakistan’s new leader Imran Khan, who vowed to stop Wilders before he canceled his event, and to take the matter to the UN to stop all Muhammad cartoons.
Khan said something crucial that Westerners need to grasp: “few in the West understand the pain caused to Muslims by such activities.†The conditioned, rigid, non-pluralistic mindset that Islam must not be insulted has become rooted in the West; this mindset is propagated and encouraged not only by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, but also by mainstream Muslim groups everywhere, which scream “Islamophobia†at every turn.
Sharia dictates that contradict Western principles of the freedom of speech have no place in any democracy. Destroying the freedom of speech is the goal of the OIC’s anti-“Islamophobia†drives, which are intended to silence critics of Islam and foreclose upon any open dialogue about Islam.
The Washington Times article below states:
Those convicted of dishonoring the Prophet Muhammad or desecrating the Koran in Pakistan face the death penalty — one of the harshest punishments in the Islamic world. But the harshness doesn’t stop at the South Asian’s country’s borders. Many Pakistanis, whose nation was birthed as a harbor and homeland for South Asia’s Muslim population, say they expect the same punishments to apply to non-Muslims abroad.
Pakistan stands out for its harsh blasphemy laws. Only a few days ago, Jihad Watch reported that “thousands of Muslims†took to the streets in Pakistan to rally to demand the murder of Christian woman Asia Bibi accused of blasphemy.
The Washington Times article continues…
The contest, now canceled, was clearly designed to provoke Muslims, who rioted in the past after Muhammed caricatures appeared in foreign newspapers.
This is how opponents of free speech gain Leftist sympathies, by claiming that such events are intended to “provoke Muslims.†But that statement is wrong. The intention is not to “provoke Muslims.†It is to send the message that Sharia blasphemy laws must not be tolerated in the West or imposed upon Western countries. Many of the freedoms that people in Western countries take for granted are punishable by death under Islamic law. Such laws are not welcome in free societies, and cannot be if democratic societies intend to stay free. They won’t stay free for long if the war against free speech continues to be tolerated so as to avoid “provoking†Muslims. Leftists are aiding and abetting the demise of free societies.
“Pakistani defenders of Prophet Muhammad call for jihad against Dutch over cartoon contest,†by Naila Inayat, Washington Times, October 14, 2018:
LAHORE, Pakistan — Those convicted of dishonoring the Prophet Muhammad or desecrating the Koran in Pakistan face the death penalty — one of the harshest punishments in the Islamic world.
But the harshness doesn’t stop at the South Asian’s country’s borders. Many Pakistanis, whose nation was birthed as a harbor and homeland for South Asia’s Muslim population, say they expect the same punishments to apply to non-Muslims abroad.
A diplomatic rift opened between Pakistan and The Netherlands after populist right-wing Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders announced in June a Prophet Muhammad cartoon competition with a $10,000 prize. The contest, now canceled, was clearly designed to provoke Muslims, who rioted in the past after Muhammed caricatures appeared in foreign newspapers. About 200 people submitted cartoons before Mr. Wilders‘ November deadline. Others in the Muslim world expressed disapproval of the stunt, but the reaction was far sharper in Pakistan.
After news of Mr. Wilders‘ contest spread, demonstrators in Pakistan called to sever diplomatic ties with the Dutch government.
Leading the demonstrations was cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, whose far-right political party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik, aims to protect “the honor of the prophet.†Confident after garnering 2 million votes in the July parliamentary elections, Mr. Rizvi took to the streets and asked the government to launch a missile strike against the Netherlands.
“The only way to stop the release of blasphemous cartoons is through jihad,†Mr. Rizvi said at a rally at Data Darbar, a Sufi Muslim shrine in Lahore. “Pakistan should end diplomatic ties with Netherlands. We demand the government to launch Ghauri missile on Holland.â€
His followers agreed. “Dutch are kafirs†— nonbelievers, said Muhammad Tayab, a public school teacher in Lahore. “They dared to humiliate our prophet. They should all be killed for hurting our religious sentiments.â€
New Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the contest but tried to calm angry constituents with a video statement saying people living in the West didn’t understand Muslims’ religious sensitivities…..
