Title:	Memorandum to Danish Ambassador, Pretoria
Posted:	6 March 2008
Author:	United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA)
Source:	UUCSA

MEMORANDUM PRESENTED TO THE HONOURABLE AMBASSADOR EMBASSY OF DENMARK PRETORIA FROM THE UNITED ULAMA COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA (UUCSA) 29 FEBRUARY 2008 THE UNITED ULAMA COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA IS AN UMBRELLA BODY OF THE MAJOR MUSLIM THEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA MEMORANDUM TO: THE PRIME MINISTER, DENMARK RE: CARICATURES OF THE NOBLE PROPHET MUHAMMED (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) Ethics of Co-Existence We all live in a multi-polar and pluralistic world where all societies and cultures share a common space. Globalism has impacted upon all people in a way that events halfway around the world will impact upon societies everywhere. As Muslims, we enjoin tolerance to all other ‘isms’ different from our own. This view of multiculturalism is more than just creating parallel communities that are urged to vie for the common good. It is also based on the principle of enriching oneself by recognizing others. As Muslims, we are urged to live amongst the family of humankind by enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. History has shown us that Muslim societies practicing the middle path, the way of tolerance, social justice and respect, have always impacted positively upon all societies around them. Today, Muslims living in Europe and parts of the Western world are increasingly becoming marginalized. Conflict is being created on their articles of faith. The symbols of their faith are increasingly under attack. All of this is premised on a spurious theme of a “clash of civilizations” in which Islam is set against such values as justice, equality, human rights and freedom of expression. We subscribe to all of these noble values, and more. But with every right there is a concomitant responsibility; with every act of freedom there is corresponding accountability for one’s actions. Freedom to Oppress vs. Freedom of Expression We believe your government is creating a climate of absolute freedom to attack Muslims and Islamic values without giving due regard to the resultant reaction. This reaction is causing the erosion of trust. It is creating a profound sense of mistrust and resentment to values espoused by your government. Values that allows such hate crimes to flourish under the feeble excuse of’ freedom of expression’ does not engender fraternity and a common identity. Profiling Before the 1980’s Danish society did not make distinctions among immigrant groups. More recently, however, nationality and religious belief have been increasingly used to identify newcomers, perhaps as these individuals have begun to assert their identity in their new homeland to a greater extent than in the past. In the years leading up to the ‘cartoon’ controversy, major immigrant communities from Africa, Pakistan, India and the Middle East were collectively referred to as “Muslims”; their country of origin was of no interest, and they were differentiated from other new Danes. This religious profiling creates alienation and leads to extremism at the slightest provocation. Controversy can lead to Change About ten years ago, in Copenhagen, a Swedish photographer held an exhibition entitled “Ecce Home”, collection of provocative photos portraying the Prophet Jesus (Peace be Upon Him) as a homosexual. This provocation hurt the feelings of Christians as well as Muslims. The reaction from church clerics was swift and strong: “This is barbarian, not biblical” read one of the newspaper headlines and a heated discussion followed. Similarly, the Danish cartoons portraying the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) were indeed a provocation. Equally, the attempt by a Danish film maker to ban half of the Qur’an is but another attempt to portray Muslims as the evil other. A few years before the provocative cartoons were published, a Danish company began selling summer sandals with a depiction of the Virgin Mary (Peace be Upon Her). This led to strong protests in Denmark and the shoes were soon taken off the market. Dialogue The cartoons issue is perceived to be a brutal emotional and intellectual attack on the hearts of already marginalized Danish Muslims (and Muslims throughout the world). The violent reactions in some Muslim countries may have been appeased had the Danish prime minister chosen the path of dialogue, instead of refusing to meet with the delegation of ambassadors from various Muslim countries. Perhaps engaging in dialogue at the time would have prevented controversy, reduced the violence that ensued, and resulted in constructive intercultural conversation. It has taken several initiatives by domestic and international groups to calm the post cartoon atmosphere, allowing for some positive gains. The publication of the cartoons ultimately led to animated and vivid debates in Denmark, and a growing interest in Islam among the Danish population. The eyes of the Danish people were opened to issues surrounding Muslims and the immigrant population. Furthermore, mainstream Muslims within the Danish community were convinced of their need to enter politics, not only to speak for Muslims, but also to educate others about Islam in their new homeland. Media When access is blocked to media or political channels through which people can vent their frustrations, disenfranchised individuals sometimes make their opinions known through violent or destructive means. The recent arrest of 3 individuals suspected of planning an attack on the cartoonist, has subsequently resulted in the reprinting of the cartoons by 17 newspapers. This has added insult to injury and has certainly not helped the cause of dialogue. Three individuals who identify themselves as Muslims do not represent an entire faith. It appears that collective punishment is becoming the rationale of the Danish media, instead of constructive engagement. Rather than highlighting the sensational incidents, the Danish government and media should focus on filling this gap, providing a rational forum for discussion on controversial events. First Understand then be Understood The right to freely express oneself does not always mean making that right an oppression on another. Our South African experience has shown that dialogue can lead to some interesting and challenging discussions between censors and their targets, inspiring deeper thought and greater understanding. We sincerely believe that there is sufficient goodwill in the Danish government to explore avenues for constructive dialogue. We are also of the opinion that by recovering the middle path we can foster ethics and a culture of co-existence that will not tolerate racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and hate crimes against Muslims, as well as the demonization of Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus or people of any other faith. Thank you (Signed) E Gabriels (Sheikh) President

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