There is persistent outflow of anti-Islam literature in various forms: movies, caricatures, printed matter and word of mouth. Pattern is of a well orchestrated, multi-pronged campaign to keep the Muslims off balance. Reactions by the governments of the countries from where such materials are originating have generally been varying: refusing to take responsibility, indifference, complacency, denial and outright defence of these, presumably non-state, media actors.
This is the fourth major event over the last few years that has caught global attention. Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard’s caricatures and Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders’ documentary became public in a quick succession. Then it was Pastor Terry Jones with his disgraceful plan to burn the Quran. Now is the feature film: ‘The Innocence of Muslims’. And without caring for the on-going global protest, French satirical weekly ‘Charlie Hebdo’ has published sacrilegious cartoons of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). To rub salt to the injury, the French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has commented, “We are in a country where freedom of expression is guaranteed, including freedom to caricature.”
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