Iran’s opposition Green Movement has called on the United Nations to undertake all necessary measures towards preserving the respect for the sacred values following widespread anger in the Muslim world over a movie which depicts Prophet Mohammad as a fool, a womaniser and a homosexual.
In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday, the movement’s highest decision-making body, the Coordinating Council of the Green Path of Hope, stressed that respecting religious convictions was an inevitable imperative for the peaceful co-existence of all people in the world.
“Otherwise, the whole humanity will suffer from the prevalence and perpetuation of tension, conflict and violence.”
The statement comes days after an anti-Muslim film sparked violence in a number of Muslim-majority countries including Egypt and Libya.
“It is a matter of utter regret that the production and release of an extremely distortive and insulting film about the Prophet of Islam has led to the emergence of a new round of violence and insecurity in the world,” the statement said, adding that it had “severely injured the deeply-held beliefs” of Muslims across the world.
“The totally irresponsible support for this film … has provided the extremists, of different shades and colors, including among Muslims, to propagate ignorance and hate and unleash enmity and violence.”
While reaffirming its commitment towards the principles of free speech and condemning “violence of any kind and in all its forms,” the Council called on the UN’s Secretary General to undertake all necessary measures towards “preserving and upholding the respect for the sacred values of hundreds of millions of Muslims in the world, towards preventing the spread of insults, enmity, hatred and violence, as well as towards the realization of a world based on peace, tolerance and humanity.”
The full text of the letter:
In the name of God
19 September 2012
Excellencies
The Planet Earth can hardly provide a refuge for a humane life without tolerance, equity and dialogue. Respect for the beliefs of others – what others, all others, hold to be Sacred – is an inevitable imperative for the peaceful co-existence of all people in the world. Otherwise, the whole humanity will suffer from the prevalence and perpetuation of tension, conflict and violence. As eloquently put by the famous Persian poet Hafiz: Comfort in both Worlds emanates from these two concepts; kindness towards friends and tolerance towards the enemies.
It is a matter of utter regret that the production and release of an extremely distortive and insulting film about the Prophet of Islam has led to the emergence of a new round of violence and insecurity in the world. Wanton insults to the revered personality of Prophet Muhammad – a messenger of amity, peace and humanity – has severely injured the deeply-held beliefs of more than one billion Muslims in the world, and even those of hundreds of millions of other Monotheists across the world. It is truly regrettable that a Prophet has been targeted for distortion and insult that is known to have proclaimed that “I was chosen to complement the moral virtues”; the Messenger whose motto was: “There is no compulsion in religion” and “Your religion is for yourself, and my religion is for myself.”
The totally irresponsible support for this film – including by those with close links with known Zionist connections – has provided the extremists, of different shades and colors, including among Muslims, to propagate ignorance and hate and unleash enmity and violence.
While reaffirming our respect for and commitment to the principles of freedom of belief, religion and expression, and condemning violence of any kind and in all its forms, and also recalling the commitments of states and international organizations under Paragraph 2, Article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, we call on you, in your respective position of authority, to undertake all necessary measures towards preserving and upholding the respect for the sacred values of hundreds of millions of Muslims in the world, towards preventing the spread of insults, enmity, hatred and violence, as well as towards the realization of a world based on peace, tolerance and humanity.
The Coordinating Council for the Green Path of Hope Paris
H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General
United Nations
New York
H.E. Mr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
Secretary-General
Organization for Islamic Cooperation
Jeddah
H.E. Ms. Irina Bokova
Director-General
UNESCO
Paris
Source: GVF