Putin says insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is ‘violation of religious freedom’ Afghan women protest against ‘Taliban killings’ of ex-soldiers

Dec 24,Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that insulting Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) does not count as an expression of artistic freedom but is a “violation of religious freedom”, according to state news agency TASS. Putin made these remarks during his annual press conference in Moscow on Thursday, adding that insults to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) were a violation of “the sacred feelings of people who profess Islam”.

TASS reported that the Russian president also criticised the publication of blasphemous sketches of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in French magazine Charlie Hebdo. Such acts, the report quoted Putin as saying, gave rise to extremist reprisals. Artistic freedom had its limits and it shouldn’t infringe on other’s freedoms, he added.

The president further stated that Russia had evolved as a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional state and so Russians were used to respecting each other’s traditions, according to the report.In some other countries, this respect came in short supply, he said. PM welcomes Putin’s remarks Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan welcomed Putin’s statement, saying it “reaffirms my message that insulting Holy Prophet (PBUH) is not ‘freedom of expression’.” “We Muslims, especially Muslim leaders, must spread this message to leaders of the non-Muslim world to counter Islamophobia,” the premier said. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also appreciated the Russian president’s statement. “Insulting our Holy Prophet (PBUH) is indeed a violation of religious freedom and is a far cry from freedom of expression,” he said. Charlie Hebdo had published the blasphemous sketches in 2015, prompting condemnation from Muslims across the world. The publication had also led to an attack on the magazine’s office on January 7, 2015, in which 12 persons had been killed. The issue had resurfaced in 2020 when the magazine republished the sketches on September 2 to coincide with the trial of 14 people accused of helping the attackers carry out their gun rampage against the magazine staffers. Source: Dawn.com

A crowd of women marched through the Afghan capital on Tuesday, accusing Taliban authorities of covertly killing soldiers who served the former US-backed regime. Around 30 women gathered near a mosque in the centre of Kabul and marched a few hundred metres chanting “justice, justice” before they were stopped by Taliban forces, an AFP correspondent saw. The Taliban also tried to prevent journalists from covering the march, organised against the “mysterious murders of young people, particularly the country’s former soldiers”, according to social media invitations.

Taliban fighters briefly detained a group of reporters and confiscated equipment from some photographers, deleting images from their cameras before returning them. Since the hardliners returned to power in August they have effectively banned unsanctioned protests and frequently intervene to block demonstrations against their austere brand of Islam. The protest comes weeks after separate reports by the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said there were credible allegations of more than 100 extrajudicial killings by the Taliban since their takeover.

“I want to tell the world, tell the Taliban to stop killing. We want freedom, we want justice, we want human rights,” said protester Nayera Koahistani.

In a statement read aloud by protester Laila Basam, the demonstrators called on the Taliban “to stop its criminal machine”. The statement said former soldiers and government employees of the old regime are “under direct threat”, violating a general amnesty announced by the Taliban in August.

The protesters also aired objections to the ratcheting restrictions women are facing under Taliban rule. The government issued new guidelines at the weekend banning women from travelling long distances unless escorted by a close male relative.Source: Dawn.com