Australian Muslims 'Disturbed' By Paris Shooting; Takes Offence At Charlie Hebdo's Depiction of Mohammad

The Muslim community in Australia has condemned the massacre of 12 people at the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical paper in Paris. Although they believe that Charlie Hebdo's cartoons were offensive in mocking the prophet Muhammad, it did not justify the killings.

The Islamic Council of Victoria spokesperson Kuranda Seyit said the Muslim leaders were disturbed by the violence in Paris. He added that the council did not know the reason behind such acts. If the gunmen took offence for the satirical depiction of Islam, it still did not justify the act of violence, SMH reported.

Seyit said the Muslims were offended when the highly revered Islamic prophet was depicted in a derogatory manner. He explained that Muslims are very emotional about the way the prophet was presented by Charlie Hebdo because they believe he is the symbol of perfection.

There was no direct teaching in the Koran that referred to the depiction of the prophet, but Islam prohibits the depiction of human faces and animals in Muslim places of worship. Islamic scholars had ruled that if the prophet was depicted in an offensive manner, it would be considered an insult to Muslims and Islam as a whole.

However, Seyit said the cartoons depicting the prophet would be considered a "crime" in a society under full Islamic Sharia law, but such a thing does not exist. He remarked that the people behind the attack may have acted based on their own Islamic motivation. The Muslim community in Australia reiterated that they do not tolerate violence in any way.

Muslim leaders in Australia were alarmed by the implications of anti-terror laws the government has introduced. The Inquisitr reported that a Muslim cleric who promotes certain verses of the Koran might be violating the new law, known as the Foreign Fighters Bill.

The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, and the Australian National Imams Council have called for the offence "advocating terrorism" to be stricken off the bill. The council was concerned that a cleric might break the law even if he only preached the duty of a Muslim to defend his land.

Australia has recently experienced a terror attack involving a lone gunman in the Sydney siege at Martin Place. Two hostages, including the gunman Man Haron Monis, were killed when police stormed the Lindt café in an attempt to end the siege.

Contact email: r.su@ibtimes.com.au