KARACHI, Feb 17: The German Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Gunter Mulack, has ruled out the possibility of changes in European laws governing freedom of expression and press but emphasized the need to develop respect for different cultures and values by the media.

“Don’t consider we will introduce new laws,” he said in a lecture on ‘The West and the Muslim World in Dialogue’ organized by the 21st Century Business and Economic Club at a local hotel on Thursday night. “We (the European Union) will make newspapers respect the feelings of others.”

The German ambassador deplored the publication of blasphemous caricatures in the Danish press describing them as ugly and insulting, and sympathized with the Muslims for their sentiments hurt by the act.

He said the German people at large recognized that it (blasphemous caricatures) had hurt the feelings of millions around the world.

“Germany has quite a high moral standard in its constitution and legal system, and the German penal code restricts publication of material that can hurt the religious feelings or trigger hatred or racism,” he said.

Recognizing that the freedom of expression was not without a limit, Dr Mulack, however, said that violent protests over the blasphemy cartoons could prove counterproductive.

He was of the view that violent protests only provided an opportunity to extremists in the West to argue that they were right in believing that Muslims were extremists.

“I don’t think it’s wise to allow people to do that,” he said, adding that “if you burn embassies, it is not going to help the cause of Islam and the Muslims.”

He called upon Muslims and the West to evolve a consensus on promoting tolerance and respect for differing cultures and ethical values. “News is not always authentic. We see what they (newspapers) want us to see.”

He said the German government would appeal to the European newspapers to be more responsible and respectful.

He maintained that the silent majority of Muslims in the West and the Muslim world was not extremists and wanted dialogue for peace.

Referring to the Qur’anic verses calling for restraining one’s anger, the German ambassador said that political parties must play their role in defusing the situation. “Political parties and leaders must check this tendency,” he asserted.

He viewed that the negative performance by some governments in the Muslim world was also responsible for radicalization of society and the situation.

According to him, the current wave of anger was the result of lack of trust and added that there were extremists on both sides who were presenting an ugly picture.

He said the EU was discussing how best to integrate about five million Muslims living in its member countries. “An overwhelming majority of these Muslims enjoy religious freedom and reject violence,” he added.

He advised the Muslim community in the EU countries to follow the legal system of the country they lived in and not to resort to violence. He cited the example of some Muslim groups in France that had initiated legal steps against the publication of such sketches there.

Dr Mulack agreed that Muslims were the victims of ‘double standards’ of the policies pursued by the West citing the torture of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.—PPI/APP