Norway is the first country where the Muslim community has accepted apologies from editor for printing cartoons
15/02/2006 ::
The Norwegian government has repeatedly stated that it condemns any action or statement that expresses contempt for a person on the basis of his or her religion or ethnic background. The caricatures that have shaken the world do not serve to build bridges between people of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds. On the contrary, they encourage suspicion and confrontation. Freedom of expression is a constitutional right and one of the mainstays of Norwegian society. This also entails tolerance for views that are not shared by everyone.
On this basis, Christians and Muslims in Norway have worked hard to develop their dialogue. This has now produced results. The editor of the magazine that re-published the cartoons has apologised and regretted that he hurt the religious feelings of muslims. More importantly, the Islamic Council of Norway, comprising prominent mosque imams and major Islamic organizations in Norway, have accepted the apology. Muslim leadership in Norway has termed the matter closed, saying "Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said that everyone can make mistakes but the best is the one who expresses regret and asks for forgiveness.”
The Norwegian Embassy in Pakistan welcomes this development, and hopes it can contribute to interfaith harmony as a lesson learned.
Royal Norwegian Embassy, Islamabad