Monday, Mar 02, 2009
Gulf News
Manama: An Islamic organisation has stressed the need to launch a television station in Hebrew to help educate people in Israel about Islam's values and tenets.
"It is obvious that many people in Israel, mainly young men and women, need to learn more about Islam, its teachings and its morals. One of the most effective ways to do this is to launch a television channel in Hebrew that will help them better appreciate the religion," Yousuf Al Qaradawi and Salman Al Ouda, the leaders of the Support (Prophet) Mohammad (PBUH) Organisation, said at a conference in Manama.
"The channel will expose many of the lies and will use the expertise of people familiar with the Israeli society to present correct and valid explanations to the Jews."
The call was made after Israeli private broadcaster Channel 10 aired a programme that included abusive remarks against the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and a show in which Lior Shlein, a late-night satirist, made blasphemous remarks about the Virgin Mary and Jesus.
Millions of Muslims condemned the "abusive remarks against the founder of one the three heavenly religions and the evil campaign waged against the sanctities of a religion followed by more than 1.5 billion people."
Earlier, the targeting of the Virgin Mary and Jesus angered Christians, with the Vatican saying that the show had ridiculed Mary and Jesus "with blasphemous words and images" that amounted to a "vulgar and offensive act of intolerance".
It also sparked furore among Muslims who venerate Virgin Mary and Jesus.
"This is not freedom of expression as some people are trying to claim because it is in fact an insult to highly venerated figures. The Israeli channel has offended Muslims because any insult to any of God's Prophets is an insult to Muslims," Al Qaradawi said.
Israeli officials should apologise profusely for this attack, Al Qaradawi said.
The Support (Prophet) Mohammad (PBUH) Organisation was set up in Bahrain in the aftermath of the publication of a series of cartoons, mainly in Europe, targeting the Prophet and Islam.
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