Nigeria President Condemns Blasphemous Movie
Nigeria's President Good luck Jonathan has condemned the blasphemous movie produced in the United States that denigrated the Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
Addressing the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York on September 26, Jonathan condemned deliberate denigration of religious beliefs.
He warned that "freedom of expression should never be construed as a license for actions that may lead to violence and disorder".
The president said freedom of expression and religious tolerance should be complimentary to each other for the peaceful coexistence of people of varying faiths and religious beliefs.
He told the assembly that "events of recent weeks have demonstrated how interconnected our world is and the extent to which one incident can spark off general mayhem and conflagration. Freedom of expression should not be a license to incitement. The freedom that we all hold dear and true should be exercised wisely and cautiously. Freedom of expression and religious tolerance must not be mutually exclusive but should be complimentary to each other.
"Much as we eschew violence and deplore the needless losses of lives and destruction of property, we also condemn the deliberate denigration of religious beliefs and sensitivities which in turn lead to counter-reactions," President Jonathan said.
Jonathan reiterated his call for the establishment of a conflict mediation commission under the Office of the UN Secretary General to further strengthen the peacemaking initiatives of the United Nations. By Sadroddin Musawi
By Sadroddin Musawi
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