OIC condemns Holland's decision to hold caricature competition on Prophet Muhammad

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the statement made by the Dutch parliament member Geert Wilders vowing to hold a cartoon competition of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), at the end of this year.

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen expressed his deep concern over this provocative contest, which is further increasing incitement and sowing the seeds of hatred among the various followers of religions.
Al-Othaimeen affirmed that as the entire world is facing religious extremism and terrorism and needs peace, dialogue and tolerance, it is time to set up internationally binding legal instruments to prevent incitement, racism and discrimination, religious hatred and respect for all religions.
'Freedom of expression does not mean insulting the feelings of others; an attitude which cuts against the universal principle of respect for religions,' the official said.
The Freedom Party of Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders will hold a competition of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad, it said on Tuesday.The party said the plan to hold the competition in the party’s secure offices in Dutch Parliament had been approved by the Dutch Counter-terrorism Agency NCTV.Cartoons depicting Mohammad have provoked violent responses in the past.In 2015, Islamist gunmen killed 12 people at the Paris offices of the French secularist satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which had printed cartoons of the Prophet. In 2005, the publication in a Danish newspaper of a dozen cartoons depicting the Prophet led to violent protests across the Muslim world.Wilders’ Freedom Party is the leading opposition party in parliament after coming in second place in elections last March. He has called for the Koran to be banned, and says Islam is a totalitarian faith.“Freedom of speech is threatened, especially for Islam critics,” Wilders said in a statement. “We should never accept that. Freedom of speech is our most important freedom.”American cartoonist Bosch Fawstin, winner of a similar contest in Garland, Texas, in May 2015, has been asked to judge the Dutch contest, which will be held later this year.
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