Four imams, Vatican jointly condemn attack on paper

Published January 9, 2015
PARIS: A person holds a pen, symbolising freedom of expression, as lights on the Eiffel Tower start to dim before switching off for five minutes on Thursday in tribute to journalists of the weekly satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo after a shooting at their offices.—Reuters
PARIS: A person holds a pen, symbolising freedom of expression, as lights on the Eiffel Tower start to dim before switching off for five minutes on Thursday in tribute to journalists of the weekly satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo after a shooting at their offices.—Reuters

VATICAN CITY: Four leading French imams and the Vatican have issued a joint statement denouncing the Paris newspaper massacre, warning that the world is a dangerous place without freedom of expression but urging the media to be respectful of religion.

The Muslim spiritual leaders were visiting the Vatican this week along with French Catholic bishops. The Vatican’s office for inter-religious dialogue on Thursday said the four joined Pope Francis in condemning the cruelty of the attack and urging all believers to show solidarity with its the victims.

They stressed that dialogue among different faiths is the only way to eliminate pre­judice. The signatories were Djelloul Seddiki, head of the great mosque of Paris; Tareq Oubrou, director of the Bor­deaux mosque; Azzedine Gaci of the Villeurbanne mos­que; and Mohammed Mous­saoui, president of the Union of Mosques in France.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

X post facto
Updated 19 Apr, 2024

X post facto

Our decision-makers should realise the harm they are causing.
Insufficient inquiry
19 Apr, 2024

Insufficient inquiry

UNLESS the state is honest about the mistakes its functionaries have made, we will be doomed to repeat our follies....
Melting glaciers
19 Apr, 2024

Melting glaciers

AFTER several rain-related deaths in KP in recent days, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has sprung into...
IMF’s projections
Updated 18 Apr, 2024

IMF’s projections

The problems are well-known and the country is aware of what is needed to stabilise the economy; the challenge is follow-through and implementation.
Hepatitis crisis
18 Apr, 2024

Hepatitis crisis

THE sheer scale of the crisis is staggering. A new WHO report flags Pakistan as the country with the highest number...
Never-ending suffering
18 Apr, 2024

Never-ending suffering

OVER the weekend, the world witnessed an intense spectacle when Iran launched its drone-and-missile barrage against...