raven
02-10-2006, 09:19 PM
Source: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Law/2006/02/09/1433681-cp.html
Muslim students confront professor
By MICHAEL TUTTON AND KEITH DOUCETTE
Prophet drawings demonstration draws thousands
HALIFAX (CP) - Some of the public passions roused internationally by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad surfaced in Canada on Thursday with shouting matches erupting at a protest in Halifax, and Muslims in Montreal saying they were worried a weekend protest there could turn violent.
The largely peaceful protest in Halifax turned tense when some Muslim students confronted a professor who has drawn fire for posting the contentious drawings on his office door.
Peter March, a philosophy professor at Saint Mary's University, said he was merely trying to promote a reasoned debate when he suddenly showed up in the midst of 100 protesters.
When the students realized who he was, a group of angry youths started yelling, "Go away!" and "You don't belong here!"
The shouting that ensued, all captured by TV cameras, was precisely the kind of image Canadian Muslim leaders are trying to avoid as governments and religious leaders continue to call for calm amid fears the recent violence has only reinforced Islam's negative image in the West.
In Montreal, a Muslim leader said Thursday he will meet with organizers of a planned weekend protest in a bid to persuade them to cancel the event.
Salam Elmenyawi, head of the Muslim Council of Montreal, said tensions are running very high, but the local Muslim community has supported a declaration condemning the violence that has swept the Muslim world over the drawings, which first appeared in a Danish newspaper.
"While Canadian and Quebec Muslims share in the intense emotions and displeasure of their fellow Muslims the world over, we call upon them to address this most serious matter in a calm and constructive manner," Elmenyawi told a news conference.
Meanwhile, religious groups across Canada, including the Canadian Jewish Council, have condemned the editorial cartoons, saying they are needlessly provocative.
In Halifax, protest organizers said they were responding to March's decision to post three of the cartoons on his office door Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the university ordered the images removed, citing concerns over health and safety.
The professor complied, but he revived the debate Thursday when he delivered a classroom lecture to 60 students that focused on his belief that all religions are odious.
March said academics must uphold the right of philosophers to be critical of religion.
Following the lecture, some Muslim students said March was mocking their beliefs.
Student Shaheen Sajan questioned March's motives.
"Since this issue has come up, you have to question Peter March's credibility," she said. "He went out and gave his home address - my analysis is he's inviting aggressive behaviour. He wants his 15 minutes of fame."
Rafiq Al-Qishaii. one of the marchers who urged protesters to ignore March, also said March was looking for trouble.
"This is what he wants . . . He wants to cause a problem here."
For his part, March said he wanted to engage those who disagreed with what he did.
"You can't do philosophy directly and honestly without causing inflammation," he said as the protest march was getting started. "It's one of the side effects, rather like surgery."
After the march, passions flared again on the university campus when March engaged in several discussions that soon turned to heated arguments.
He was helped into a campus building by police who barred the doors to a group of angry students.
A group calling itself the Palestine Solidarity Society at Saint Mary's University issued a release saying the classroom is an appropriate forum for discussion of the cartoons - not an office door.
On Prince Edward Island, the Muslim community has criticized a student newspaper for publishing the cartoons.
The Cadre, the student newspaper at the University of Prince Edward Island, published the 12 cartoons.
The university moved quickly to stop about 2,000 copies of the newspaper from being distributed on campus.
Good Allah they are complaining about the cartoons over here too. :rolleyes:
Here's the one about the Montreal Protest that is planned to happen on the weekend.
Source: http://channels.netscape.ca/home/article.adp?id=20060207163909990022
Montreal Muslims pledge peaceful protest on weekend over prophet caricatures
DENE MOORE, Canadian Press
MONTREAL (CP) - As violent protests continue throughout the Muslim world over cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad, organizers of a protest in Montreal promise a peaceful gathering this weekend.
Said Jazari, imam of the Al Qods Mosque in Montreal, said local Muslims need a outlet for their frustration, but he said violence will not be tolerated at the demonstration planned for Saturday. "We're trying to denounce all acts of violence, all acts of terrorism, and also condemn the caricatures against the prophet Muhammad," Jazari said in an interview.
Salam Elmenyawi, leader of the Muslim Council of Montreal, said he has received dozens of phone calls from Muslims angry about the caricatures originally published in a Danish newspaper last fall.
But Elmenyawi expressed concern the weekend gathering could turn violent. Many of the city's mosques will also open their doors to the public this weekend to foster understanding, he said.
"The issue is very highly emotionally charged and we do not want to risk any backlash, having seen what has happened elsewhere," he said.
The caricatures, among them one depicting Muhammad with a fuse protruding from a bomb-shaped turban, were first published in Denmark in September and have since been reprinted in other European newspapers.
Islamic tradition bars any depiction of the prophet, favourable or otherwise, and violent protests have erupted in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, the Philippines and Indonesia.
The newspaper that first published the cartoons has apologized, but demonstrations continue.
In Canada, more than 200 Muslims staged a peaceful demonstration last weekend outside the Danish consulate in downtown Halifax.
The head of the Muslim Canadian Congress has denounced the violence and the Toronto-based Council on American-Islamic Relations Canada urged Canadian Muslims to use the controversy as a means to open dialogue with non-Muslims.
"I think we need to start talking to each other about this and I'm not convinced protests are the best way to do that," Riad Saloojee, executive director of the council, said from Toronto.
Jazari thanked Canadian media for not publishing the offending caricatures and he said organizers will work with Montreal police to ensure a peaceful gathering on the weekend.
"We won't accept any acts of violence during this protest," he said.
A Montreal police spokesman said Tuesday that as a matter of course, city police deploy to such demonstrations to control traffic and the crowd.
Elmenyawi said the council and the 40 Muslim organizations it represents denounce the violence that has broken out around the world.
Instead of joining in the demonstration, many Montreal mosques will open their doors as early as this weekend in an effort to combat "Islam-ophobia."
"This, we thought, was a much better approach than going out and marching in the streets," Elmenyawi said.
Jazari said the doors of his mosque are always open but that won't do to calm anger over the drawings.
Muslims are insulted, he said.
"They're going to yell a bit. . . then it's finished," Jazari said.
The Canadian Press, 2006
02/7/2006 16:33 EST
Muslim students confront professor
By MICHAEL TUTTON AND KEITH DOUCETTE
Prophet drawings demonstration draws thousands
HALIFAX (CP) - Some of the public passions roused internationally by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad surfaced in Canada on Thursday with shouting matches erupting at a protest in Halifax, and Muslims in Montreal saying they were worried a weekend protest there could turn violent.
The largely peaceful protest in Halifax turned tense when some Muslim students confronted a professor who has drawn fire for posting the contentious drawings on his office door.
Peter March, a philosophy professor at Saint Mary's University, said he was merely trying to promote a reasoned debate when he suddenly showed up in the midst of 100 protesters.
When the students realized who he was, a group of angry youths started yelling, "Go away!" and "You don't belong here!"
The shouting that ensued, all captured by TV cameras, was precisely the kind of image Canadian Muslim leaders are trying to avoid as governments and religious leaders continue to call for calm amid fears the recent violence has only reinforced Islam's negative image in the West.
In Montreal, a Muslim leader said Thursday he will meet with organizers of a planned weekend protest in a bid to persuade them to cancel the event.
Salam Elmenyawi, head of the Muslim Council of Montreal, said tensions are running very high, but the local Muslim community has supported a declaration condemning the violence that has swept the Muslim world over the drawings, which first appeared in a Danish newspaper.
"While Canadian and Quebec Muslims share in the intense emotions and displeasure of their fellow Muslims the world over, we call upon them to address this most serious matter in a calm and constructive manner," Elmenyawi told a news conference.
Meanwhile, religious groups across Canada, including the Canadian Jewish Council, have condemned the editorial cartoons, saying they are needlessly provocative.
In Halifax, protest organizers said they were responding to March's decision to post three of the cartoons on his office door Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the university ordered the images removed, citing concerns over health and safety.
The professor complied, but he revived the debate Thursday when he delivered a classroom lecture to 60 students that focused on his belief that all religions are odious.
March said academics must uphold the right of philosophers to be critical of religion.
Following the lecture, some Muslim students said March was mocking their beliefs.
Student Shaheen Sajan questioned March's motives.
"Since this issue has come up, you have to question Peter March's credibility," she said. "He went out and gave his home address - my analysis is he's inviting aggressive behaviour. He wants his 15 minutes of fame."
Rafiq Al-Qishaii. one of the marchers who urged protesters to ignore March, also said March was looking for trouble.
"This is what he wants . . . He wants to cause a problem here."
For his part, March said he wanted to engage those who disagreed with what he did.
"You can't do philosophy directly and honestly without causing inflammation," he said as the protest march was getting started. "It's one of the side effects, rather like surgery."
After the march, passions flared again on the university campus when March engaged in several discussions that soon turned to heated arguments.
He was helped into a campus building by police who barred the doors to a group of angry students.
A group calling itself the Palestine Solidarity Society at Saint Mary's University issued a release saying the classroom is an appropriate forum for discussion of the cartoons - not an office door.
On Prince Edward Island, the Muslim community has criticized a student newspaper for publishing the cartoons.
The Cadre, the student newspaper at the University of Prince Edward Island, published the 12 cartoons.
The university moved quickly to stop about 2,000 copies of the newspaper from being distributed on campus.
Good Allah they are complaining about the cartoons over here too. :rolleyes:
Here's the one about the Montreal Protest that is planned to happen on the weekend.
Source: http://channels.netscape.ca/home/article.adp?id=20060207163909990022
Montreal Muslims pledge peaceful protest on weekend over prophet caricatures
DENE MOORE, Canadian Press
MONTREAL (CP) - As violent protests continue throughout the Muslim world over cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad, organizers of a protest in Montreal promise a peaceful gathering this weekend.
Said Jazari, imam of the Al Qods Mosque in Montreal, said local Muslims need a outlet for their frustration, but he said violence will not be tolerated at the demonstration planned for Saturday. "We're trying to denounce all acts of violence, all acts of terrorism, and also condemn the caricatures against the prophet Muhammad," Jazari said in an interview.
Salam Elmenyawi, leader of the Muslim Council of Montreal, said he has received dozens of phone calls from Muslims angry about the caricatures originally published in a Danish newspaper last fall.
But Elmenyawi expressed concern the weekend gathering could turn violent. Many of the city's mosques will also open their doors to the public this weekend to foster understanding, he said.
"The issue is very highly emotionally charged and we do not want to risk any backlash, having seen what has happened elsewhere," he said.
The caricatures, among them one depicting Muhammad with a fuse protruding from a bomb-shaped turban, were first published in Denmark in September and have since been reprinted in other European newspapers.
Islamic tradition bars any depiction of the prophet, favourable or otherwise, and violent protests have erupted in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, the Philippines and Indonesia.
The newspaper that first published the cartoons has apologized, but demonstrations continue.
In Canada, more than 200 Muslims staged a peaceful demonstration last weekend outside the Danish consulate in downtown Halifax.
The head of the Muslim Canadian Congress has denounced the violence and the Toronto-based Council on American-Islamic Relations Canada urged Canadian Muslims to use the controversy as a means to open dialogue with non-Muslims.
"I think we need to start talking to each other about this and I'm not convinced protests are the best way to do that," Riad Saloojee, executive director of the council, said from Toronto.
Jazari thanked Canadian media for not publishing the offending caricatures and he said organizers will work with Montreal police to ensure a peaceful gathering on the weekend.
"We won't accept any acts of violence during this protest," he said.
A Montreal police spokesman said Tuesday that as a matter of course, city police deploy to such demonstrations to control traffic and the crowd.
Elmenyawi said the council and the 40 Muslim organizations it represents denounce the violence that has broken out around the world.
Instead of joining in the demonstration, many Montreal mosques will open their doors as early as this weekend in an effort to combat "Islam-ophobia."
"This, we thought, was a much better approach than going out and marching in the streets," Elmenyawi said.
Jazari said the doors of his mosque are always open but that won't do to calm anger over the drawings.
Muslims are insulted, he said.
"They're going to yell a bit. . . then it's finished," Jazari said.
The Canadian Press, 2006
02/7/2006 16:33 EST