 Former US president Bill Clinton on Friday condemned the publication of Prophet MuhammadÂ’s (PTUI PBUH) caricatures by European newspapers and urged countries concerned to convict the publishers.
| Does "pusillanimous" have one L or two? |
Talking to reporters after meeting Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Islamabad, Clinton said he disagreed with the caricatures and that the publication was against religious and ethical norms.
| ... unlike a crucifix in a beaker of piss, or a Madonna smeared with dung... |
Clinton said he had no objection to peaceful demonstrations being held worldwide, but this was not the time for violence. He said it was the time to promote inter-faith harmony and stand together on the issue.
| It's a time to stand up for your principles, if you have any. |
He said the peopleÂ’s religious convictions should be respected at all costs and the media should be disallowed to play with the religious sentiments of other faiths. He said the media could criticise any issue including governments and people, but nobody had the right to play with the sentiments of other faiths.
| If you have a free press, you have the right to do precisely that. If you can't do precisely that, you don't have a free press. Q.E.D., Bill. |
Clinton said people in the US had also condemned the publication and were deeply concerned over it. He said they respected Islam, as it was the fastest growing religion in the US. |