Russia’s media watchdog on Friday warned publications that printing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed was against the country’s law and ethical norms following the Charlie Hebdo attack in France.
“The publication in Russian media of such caricatures go against ethical and moral norms worked out over centuries,” said the media and communications watchdog Roskomnadzor.
“Disseminating caricatures on religious themes in the media can be considered insulting or humiliating to the representatives of religious confessions and groups, and qualified as inciting ethnic and religious hatred”, an offence under Russian law, it said.
The publication would also violate the Russian media and anti-extremism laws, the watchdog said, adding that it was asking Russian media to “refrain from publishing caricatures that can be seen as a violation”.
The watchdog published the statement as a response to the ongoing debate on the “legality of publishing caricatures depicting religious objects of worship which affect feelings of religious people.”
Many newspapers and magazines around the world reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed by Charlie Hebdo, whose Paris office was attacked by Islamist gunmen on January 7, leading to the deaths of 12 people.
Although Russia’s leadership extended its condolences to France, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov participated in the unity march staged at the weekend, pro-Kremlin commentators and Muslims accused the cartoonists of provoking the attack.
Russia’s Council of Muftis – a top Muslim authority – condemned the attack, but said that “perhaps the sin of provocation… is no less dangerous for peace than the sin of those who yield to the provocation”.
It further said Charlie Hebdo’s post-attack issue featuring a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed on the front page was an “unacceptable response” to the shooting, because one “cannot laugh at the feelings of the faithful.”
In a letter to Russia’s Prosecutor General, the council chairman and Russia’s top Muslim cleric, Ravil Gainutdin, asked authorities to “take necessary measures to prevent publications that defame the Prophet Mohammed” by monitoring Russian media to verify the prohibition is being respected.
None of Russia’s top papers ran the cartoon, but some included pictures of it on their websites.
Kommersant daily reported a scuffle Thursday in a Moscow mosque, where a group of men tried to disrupt prayers and urge believers to go storm the French Embassy.
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Nigeria eye u should not have showed it too
ReplyDelete. You can generate what u cannot control. Bbc,cnn did not produce the image they jist described how they drew Him. its clueless to do so please stop it or quickly remove it
Why shiuld it be remoced Boko Harama, did the article showed ur profect? You are part of the problem.
ReplyDeleteThis is just bullshit.....This image does not depict anything about the Prophet, its just a cartoon character, I see no Koran, no thelsbi, absolutely nothing but just a reason for trouble makers to start trouble as usuall.
ReplyDeleteNigerians should reject extremism by rejecting Buhari.
ReplyDeleteBuhari if ever elected will be the worst thing to happen to Nigeria. A man with sense of progress, no contribution to his life and others. A former petroleum Minister, former military Head of State and PTF chairman yet has no endowment in his name, no scholarship, no school built in his name. No community service, No employee except domestic staff. Such a man has no business with being president.
ReplyDeleteI see don't understand the wrong in drawing a so called "prophet"! What's the big deal! Kini big deal really? What's the big deal in drawing Moses? What's the big deal in drawing Joshua! What's the big deal in drawing Christ!!! Mehn this Muslims are a bunch I don't get! Making a storm out of a tea cup!! Gush!
ReplyDeleteIf the cartoon above is the one in qout, I don't see anything wrong or that shows insult to Mohammed
ReplyDeleteThis is a failure of censorship board.
ReplyDelete