Ethnic Muslims protest ‘bias’ in French media

Cotabato City – Amid the growing indignation against the killing of 12 persons  in the attacks on offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, ethnic Muslim professionals and students here strongly condemned the “irresponsible” use of journalism by the Paris weekly against religion, especially Islam.

Thousands of placard-bearing residents expressed their collective denunciation in a street rally dubbed “No Apology march” in Marawi City Monday.

A larger protest was expected to be staged yesterday in what organizers said would be a “bigger in magnitude and more intense.”

It was learned than even Christian residents and students, partly exposed to Muslim culture and the teachings of Islam while interfacing for years with people of various faiths at the campus of the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, expressed sympathy with Muslim “brethren” in objecting to “continued blasphemy” against the Prophet Mohammad by the French magazine.

A report from the Agence France Press (AFP) yesterday said the Paris-based weekly would portray in its next cover a “weeping Prophet Mohammad” as the French government heralded Monday the deployment of 10,000 soldiers to boost security.

Agakhan M. Sharief, a rally organizer representing the Bangsamoro National Movement for Peace and Development (BNMPD), commented that “while we see the Charlie Hebdo killings as ‘regrettable and brutal,’ there is a need for world humanity to come together and address (the western media) practice of journalism for blasphemy” without sanction by host governments.

Protest co-organizer Drieza Al-moro lamented that “because of the bias (media) reporting, irresponsible or evil characterization of Islam and its prophet are becoming emboldened to further polarize Muslims.”

Journalists here belonging to Muslim, Christian and Lumad sectors shared the protest, saying that media practice was supposed to “promote peaceful coexistence and understanding” in diverse faiths, and not to “divide people and malign a particular sect.”

They pointed out that in Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Malaysia, satires against a religion or faithful of specific faith were prohibited. “Why can’t the western governments and societies do the same?” they asked.

The Marawi City protesters posted in social media some photos of their protest actions, including a number of passages from combined Church and Islamic leaders elsewhere in the globe trying to help cool down the tension in Paris.