... the editors who decided to continue to publish the latest Charlie Hebdo issue with Prophet Muhammad's caricature were equally fools...Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo has once again provoked 1.5 billion Muslims all over the world by publishing a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad, which is forbidden according to Islamic laws, Abdul Kadir Makarim, chairman of the East Nusa Tenggara Islamic Ulema Council (MUI), said here, Thursday.
"Regardless of whatever excuses and background they use, it is not right to publish a picture depicting the Prophet Muhammad," he said.
He agreed with the Egyptian Dar al-Ifta that stated Tuesday the depiction of the Islamic prophet Muhammad on the cover of the next issue of French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo is provocative and unjustified.
Earlier, Slamet Effendy Yusuf, an associate chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), expressed disappointment over Charlie Hebdos decision to again publish a caricature of Prophet Muhammad on the cover of its latest issue.
"This means Charlie Hebdo's editors are not smart. They have not taken a cue from the recent incident that has also made their fellows victims," remarked Yusuf.
Indeed, the attack on the French satirical magazine's office in France was not justifiable and deserved to be called an inhumane act of terrorism, he stated.
However, the Je suis Charlie campaign as a slogan adopted by supporters of free speech and freedom of expression to express solidarity with the publication is also not entirely acceptable, moreover under the concept of freedom of expression, he reiterated.
"It is wrong to generalize all people as Charlie Hebdo. The West must learn to respect the Eastern view that freedom of expression must be implemented with responsibility and empathy towards what others believe," he noted.
Slamet condemned the attackers of Charlie Hebdo who killed 12 people and called them fools. However, he also said that the editors who decided to continue to publish the latest Charlie Hebdo issue with Prophet Muhammad's caricature were equally fools.
Editor: Ade P Marboen
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