North Caucasus Muftis back ban on anti-Muslim film

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The Coordinating Center of the North Caucasus Muslim Board has supported the ban imposed on the Innocence of Muslims film by a court in Moscow, as well as its declaration as extremist.

"I would like to thank the court for passing such a ruling. It is a positive step to protect believers' rights," the representative of the North Caucasus Muslim Board in Moscow and chairman of the Islamic Culture Foundation, Mufti Shafig Pshikhachev, told Interfax-Religion on Monday.

He also backed the bill that would make persons insulting religious people's feelings and profaning religious values criminally liable.

"Unfortunately, we have been witnessing such occurrences regularly. I therefore think that the court was right. Our believers and religious values must be protected by law," he said.

Chechnya's head of administration, Ramzan Kadyrov, has also praised a ruling.

"I see this as a good signal. It is an example of a civilized approach to a complicated problem that affects the whole society. Both the Russian Office of the Prosecutor General and the court have vividly demonstrated their determination to counteract any attempt to set citizens of the country against each other from ethnic or religious motives," Kadyrov told reporters.

"The set of well-considered, timely and wise measures taken by the leadership of the country and the Office of the Prosecutor General, and the mature civil position of Russian religious and public figures have made it possible to avoid the worst scenario, a scenario that has had tragic consequences in a whole series of states," he said.

"The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, immediately stated his negative attitude to the film and condemned any attempt to offend the feelings of believers."

"Unfortunately, the leaders of many foreign states have made belated, hazy reactions. Some of them have tried to justify the authors of the film by citing freedom of speech. But freedom of speech mustn't threaten the human lives or social stability. It mustn't mean insults to the religious feelings of hundreds of millions, and even a billion, people. This turns freedom of speech into extremism and radicalism," the Chechen leader said.

He thanked Russian Muslims who have followed appeals not to be provoked into violence by the movie.

"This is evidence of the maturity of Muslim society in Russia and its awareness of its responsibility for possible negative effects of mass [protests]. It can also be seen as an indication of high confidence on the part of Russian Muslims in the head of state," he said.