Announcement on Danish cartoonist invites criticism

     Lucknow/Gwalior/Srinagar: The country's top Muslim decision-making body and political parties today criticised Haji Yakoob Qureshi, Minister of State for Hajj and Minorities Welfare for his announcement of a reward of Rs.51 crore for anyone who assassinates the Danish cartoonist who made Prophet Mohammad's cartoon. The announcement by the Uttar Pradesh minister at rally of Muslims in Meerut on Friday to protest the blasphemous cartoon of Prophet Mohammad has invited the ire of the community which said though Islam allows such a punishment, the Indian law does not have such a provision. Zafaryab Geelani, Member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said that as a responsible Minister, Qureshi should not have made the statement. "A minister's post is that of responsibility and so he should not have made such a statement. As far as his emotions for his religion is concerned, we understand that and we acknowledge it but the Indian Penal Law does not reward killing for such an act," said Geelani in Lucknow.

    Akhilesh Pratap Singh, spokesperson, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, said the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh should be answerable for the irresponsible statement of a Minister of his Cabinet. "As far as the statement made by the State Minister is concerned, we would like to say that the Chief Minister is collectively responsible to his ministers and so he should answer whether the statement made was as per any provision in our Indian Constitution," Singh said. Haji Yakoob Qureshi had yesterday said: "I would like to announce on behalf of the believers in the city that we would offer 5100 million rupees to anyone who eliminates the Danish cartoonist who made the caricatures of Prophet Mohammad". Muslims believe it is blasphemous to depict the Prophet and demonstrations erupted throughout the Muslim world after European newspapers republished the cartoons in January, first printed by Denmark last September.

    A wave of Muslim fury has spread across the Middle East and Asia over the cartoons as leaders urged restraint and struggled to contain the protests, which in recent days turned from peaceful to volatile and bloody. Islam prohibits depicting the Prophet but moderate Muslims, while condemning the cartoons, have expressed fears radicals are hijacking the affair, which has developed into a clash over press freedom and religious respect. Meanwhile, protests against the cartoons continued in Gwalior and Srinagar on Saturday. Militants in Iraq have called for the seizure and killing of Danes and the boycott of Danish goods. In London, there were placards demanding the beheading of those who insulted Islam. Denmark's Jyllands-Posten daily has apologized for the cartoons published last September but the Danish government has refused to apologize saying it is the paper's responsibility.

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