For Immediate Release Friday, February 17, 2006
UNITED CHURCH EXPRESSES REGRET OVER MUHAMMAD CARTOONS
Toronto: The United Church of Canada has sent a letter to the Islamic Council of Imams expressing the denomination's "deepest regret that the name of Muhammad has been so tragically misused in the depictions of cartoons first published in Europe, but now also in Canada."
The letter, which was addressed to Imam Abdul Hai Patel and Imam Hamid Slimi, was faxed late yesterday afternoon. Because the Moderator of The United Church of Canada, the Right Rev. Dr. Peter Short, is currently out of the country attending the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the letter was signed by the Rev. Dr. James Sinclair, General Secretary of the General Council and the Rev. Dr. Bruce Gregersen, General Council Minister for Programs for Mission and Ministry.
The text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Imam Patel and Imam Slimi;
Greetings in the name of Jesus, whom both Christians and Muslims honour.
On behalf of The United Church of Canada we wish to express to you and through the Council of Imams, to the Islamic communities of Canada, our deepest regret that the name of Muhammad has been so tragically misused in the depictions of cartoons first published in Europe, but now also in Canada.
We believe that the intention of publishing the cartoons has little to do with freedom of expression and much to do with incitement to racial and religious hatred. As you have noted in your recent press release, the cartoons suggest that Islam itself teaches, condones and encourages violence, bombings and the mistreatment of women. Furthermore, the implication is that all Muslims believe so as well. This we know to be untrue. The answer to your question of "why publish such cartoons?" we believe is simply racial hatred. In other forms it has been called Islamophobia.
These attitudes should have no place in Canada. Because we all share responsibility for the society in which we live, we wish to offer our sincere apologies that such attitudes can persevere in a country that we believe can and should be a model for the world of racial and ethnic respect.
May God's peace be with you.
For further information, please contact:
Mary-Frances Denis Communications Officer The United Church of Canada 416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office)
--30--