Insulting Prophet Muhammad is not freedom of expression, says Putin
Prime Minister Imran Khan has praised the recent statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he said that any insult to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) does not count as an expression of artistic freedom.
Russian president maintained such acts were a “violation of religious freedom and the violation of the sacred feelings of people who profess Islam” during his annual news conference.
He said mocking people’s religious beliefs could lead to “extremist reprisals” while citing the example of an attack on the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine in France.
Responding to Putin’s statement, the Pakistani prime minister said it was in line with his own thoughts.
“I welcome President Putin’s statement which reaffirms my message that insulting our Holy Prophet PBUH is not ‘freedom of expression,'” he wrote in his Twitter post. “We Muslims, esp Muslim leaders, must spread this message to leaders of the non-Muslim world to counter Islamophobia.”
PM Khan has been extremely vocal on the subject and has been urging for greater unity among Muslims to deal with rising anti-Islamic sentiment around the world.