MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that insultingIslam’s Prophet Mohammed PBUH is not covered by freedom of expression.
The United Russia leader, who has established himself as one pole in thegreat global debate of the era, said that insults to the Prophet are aviolation of religious freedom and the violation of the sacred feelings ofpeople who profess Islam, Russian News Agency TASS reported.
He made the statements during his annual press conference where he stressedthe significance of artistic freedom without hindrance to religious freedom.
The 69-year-old asserted artistic freedom in general but also stressed todiscern its limits saying it should not attack the freedom of othercommunities.
Russians are in the tradition of respecting other cultures and religionssince the country that represents 11 percent of the world’s landmass isevolved as a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society, Putin opined sayingthis respect comes in short supply in other nations.
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The notable statesman also slammed posting photos of Nazis on the internetsaying such as the one titled the Immortal Regiment dedicated to Russiansthat died in World War Two.
He cited an example of the attack on the editorial office of Charlie Hebdomagazine in Paris after its publication of cartoons of Islam’s Prophet.Adding that such acts rooted extremist reprisals.
Back in 2006, Putin called the caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammadan inadmissible provocation. He condemned blasphemous cartoons saying theseincidents create an additional rift between faiths, and offend and provokeworshippers.
