Prophet Muhammad cartoon 2

I have written to editor The Press Christchurch. From a long one, have to be shortened to fit the word limitation.

Dear Bruce Rennie,
What I am trying to say is,
Conservative Muslims do not have paintings or statues that resembles any animal or human being. Painting or statues that claim to resemble God, Prophet Muhammad SAW, or any other prophets (Adam, Moses, Isaac and others) are forbidden. Muslims do not pray to statues or picture/painting, idolatry is forbidden in Islam. So drawing caricatures/cartoons and claiming them to be Prophet Muhammad SAW is forbidden. As such, non Muslim who draw cartoons of Prophet Muhammad SAW and make fun of it, is considered insulting the Muslims.

Perhaps you can replace that sentence with the one above.

Thanks
Noor Hamzah

"Bruce Rennie (CPL)" wrote:
Dear Noor Hamzah:

Thank-you for this reduced version of your letter.

I have a small problem with one sentence. It reads:

True Muslims will not have paintings of even the prophets to avoid
confusion that Prophet Muhammad SAW is a human prophet and not to be confused with God.

I do not quite understand what that means. Have you perhaps left out a word by mistake?

Regards

Bruce Rennie
-----Original Message-----
From: noor hamzah [mailto:nooryahaya@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2006 20:26
To: Bruce Rennie (CPL)
Subject: RE: letter to editor


Dear Bruce Rennie,
I have cut most of it. Here it is:

Islam is monotheistic religion. Muslims worship
Allah alone and don't worship any other. We
don't have idols, statues etc in the mosque. True Muslims will
not have paintings of even the prophets to avoid
confusion that Prophet Muhammad SAW is a human prophet and not to be confused with God.
It's about time for Westeners understand the
sensitive issues of other religions.
This is a 21st Century and superiority complex
has no place in this world. All races are equal and
their culture and everyone's way of life is to be
respected.
Those newspapers would instantly increase circulation, but is it worth it when the country suffers from boycott and diplomatic setback overseas! ? You might gain a few new customers, but your countrymen in the export industries would be bearing the brunt when the Muslim world boycotts your products.
I regret that the reaction of some Muslims overseas are at the extreme end.

Noor Hamzah
Ph:3526563
50 Cavendish Rd, Casebrook, Christchurch

Please withheld my phone number and my address.

Thanks
"Bruce Rennie (CPL)" wrote:
Dear Mr Noor Hamzah:
Thank you for your letter to the editor. Our rules, however, limit
letters to 150 words. Your letter is much more than 150 words. If you cut it
and resubmit it, we will consider it for publication.
Regards
Bruce Rennie



-----Original Message-----
From: noor hamzah [mailto:nooryahaya@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, 5 February 2006 005:21
To: letters@press.co.nz
Subject: letter to editor


1) Islam is monotheistic religion. Muslims worship
Allah alone and don't wor! ship other than that. We
don't have idols etc in the mosque. True Muslims will
not have paintings of even the prophets to avoid
confusion that Mohammed is not a human prophet.

2) It's about time for Westeners understand the
sensitive issues of other religions. It's bloody
unfair when it comes to economic issue like oil, they
arm twist the Muslims to sell them oil at a price that
Muslims can't determine. And then they stab Muslims in
their backs by calling them terrorists.

OPEC did not control oil price as US claimed. How come
EXXON-Mobil has a record profit of $25.3 billion in
2004. FYI The U.S. FTC
has in the past found that U.S. oil companies
intentionally withheld supplies of gasoline from the
market in order to drive prices up.

What's this has to do with cartoon? A lot actually.
Stop portraying Muslims as fundamentalist terrorist.
We are kind enough to provide supply as US demanded.
We are forced to be fri! ends to US but not many realise
this. We are too kind to raise this issue to avoid
embarassing the Westeners. Go to Middle East and see
how they treat the Westeners (except for Iraq, and
that is understandable. US robbed and killed them what
do you expect).

3) NZ should remain a peaceful country just as what
the govt of NZ wants. The people of NZ dont realise how
hard the govt is working (literally begging) to get
entry into a more lucrative market in Middle East and
Asia.

The repercussion of the cartoon on Muhammed is costly
to businesses. For example Arla Foods sales in the
Middle East have plummeted to zero. We don't want this
to happen to Fonterra and meat exporters.

SO they should stop being an ignoramus of other
people's culture as globalisation demands us to be
dependent on each other. Start reading books on Isla! m
(not by Western Orientalists) but by Muslims
themselves. Muslims means many races and I'm p! roud to
say that there's no rasicm in Islam. Start reading
books like Idiots Guide to Understanding Islam by
Yahiya Emerick (obtainable from
www.booksvillage.co.nz)

4)Westeners may be advanced in technologies but they
behave like animals when it comes to human relations.
Offending other religions and races has been a
trademark of many Europeans and they have carried that
unconsciously in their blood now. They must realise
that this is a 21st Century and superiority complex
has no place in this world. All races are equal and
their culture and their way of life is to be
respected. Even their political life is not for us to
comment on. It's their choice. So stop bathing in
ocean of ignorance and stop meddling in other
people's affairs.

I am saying that Western media behaving like stupid bully boys, doing damage to their country and! their nations relations among its citizens and neighbours for the sake for being able to say! what they like. Abusing friends and insulting them, then expect to be treated fairly. Wouldnt it be expected that if you abuse and ridicule someone, you would be ignored and be treated with utmost disdain by that person?
To say that their government is powerless to stop this stupidity? True, but government should know better and apologize on behalf of the silly idiots who knows nothing better.
I appreciate that those newspaper that publicise the cartoon want to achieve instant recognition and celebrity status unprecedented since the days of AlJazeera and CNN achieve worldwide brand recognition during the two Gulf Wars. But is that the right way to do it?
Yes those fringe and dying newspapers would instantly increase circulation, but is it worth it when the country suffers from boycott and diplomatic setback overseas? You might gain a few new customers, but your brothers in the export industries would be bearing the brunt when the Muslim world boycott your products.

Noor Hamzah
Ph:3526563
50 Cavendish Rd, Casebrook, Christchurch