According to state news agency TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that insulting the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is not an expression of artistic freedom, but rather a “violation of religious freedom.”
Putin said this during his annual news conference in Moscow on Thursday, adding that insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a violation of “the sacred sensibilities of individuals who embrace Islam.”
According to TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin also condemned the publication in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo of obscene caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
According to the report, such actions prompted radical retaliation.
He went on to say that artistic freedom had its bounds and that it shouldn’t encroach on other people’s rights.
According to the media, the president also noted that Russia had matured as a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional state, and that Russians were accustomed to respecting one other’s traditions. Respect was in limited supply in several other countries, he claimed.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Imran Khan praised Putin’s remarks, stating they “reaffirm my message that disrespecting the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is not ‘freedom of expression.’
I welcome President Putin's statement which reaffirms my message that insulting our Holy Prophet PBUH is not " freedom of expression". We Muslims, esp Muslim leaders, must spread this message to leaders of the non-Muslim world to counter Islamophobia. https://t.co/JUKKvRYBSx
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 24, 2021
To combat Islamophobia, we Muslims, particularly Muslim leaders, must communicate this message to leaders of the non-Muslim world,” the premier stated.
The comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin were likewise praised by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Appreciate and welcome President Putin’s statement. Insulting our Holy Prophet PBUH is indeed a violation of religious freedom and is a far cry from the freedom of expression. #Islamophobia
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) December 24, 2021
“It is true that insulting our Holy Prophet (PBUH) is a violation of religious freedom and a far cry from freedom of expression,” he remarked.