 In response to worldwide protests sparked by the publication of cartoons vilifying the Prophet Mohammad, Arab parliamentarians on Sunday agreed to push for the introduction of an international law prohibiting the vilification of all religions.
| Except for Judaism, of course. And the Ahmadis. And the Ba'hais. And the Ismailis... |
Speaking on the sidelines of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) assembly, which met yesterday to thrash out the agenda of the 12th biannual conference that begins today at the Dead Sea, Kuwaiti Parliament Speaker Jasem Khurafi said he hoped the international community would respond positively to the Arab initiative.
| I hope the international community responds with a resounding "no." I'm afraid I'm going to be disappointed. |
Khurafi said Arab parliamentary groups were currently coordinating among themselves in order to drum up international support for the move. During the past few months, the Arab and Muslim worlds have reacted with anger at the publication of cartoons vilifying the Prophet Mohammad in a Danish newspaper.
| Had somebody depicted Mohammad swimming in a beaker of piss it'd have been art. |
The newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, printed the cartoons last September, but since then they have been widely reprinted throughout the world by newspapers to demonstrate that freedom of the press trumps religious prohibitions. The paper published 12 cartoons, one of which portrays the Prophet Mohammad wearing a turban-shaped like a bomb. The Danish government has refused calls to apologise on the grounds that it has no power over the newspaper.
| More havarti? Should I crack another couple bottles of Tuborg? |
Yesterday, the parliamentary assembly ratified the agenda of the AIPU, which is held under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah. Apart from the cartoon controversy, topics to be discussed include the Arab parliamentary experience in the light of the current developments in Iraq and Palestine, election processes, the right to candidature for parliament, the principle of separation of powers and its effect on democratic practice, water and its strategic role in the Arab world, human rights and the rights of the disabled in Arab countries, among other topics.
| How about the personal liberty of Arabs and Muslims to think for themselves and to hold their own opinions, whether somebody else likes them or not? |
In the meantime, the AIPU agreed yesterday to hand its presidency for the next two years to Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali. Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has held the post for the past two years. Also on Sunday, Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit met with Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa, who is participating in the two-day conference. Discussions focused on preparations for the Arab summit to be held in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum at the end of next month, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
| Khartoum's certainly the place to go to discuss the Wonderful World of Islam. If anyplace presents the face of Islam to the rest of the world it's Khartoum. |
They also discussed developments in the region, Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah Khatib attended the meeting. The Damascus-based Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union was established in 1974 with the aim of strengthening contacts and promoting dialogue among Arab parliaments and parliamentarians. |