FOR BOYCOTT AND CONDEMNATION OF GREENSBORO NEWSPAPER
Islamic leader Badi Ali called for the cancellation of advertising contracts with the Rhinoceros Times for its "flagrant and senseless attack on all faithful Muslims and their leader, the Prophet Muhammad."
"Not only does the newspaper show a shameful lack of editorial good sense, it shows a deep disrespect for people who are attempting to repair the dangerous damage done by some Danish cartoonists," the Greensboro-based sheikh declared.
Badi Ali is president of Muslims for a Better North Carolina and former Imam-President of the Islamic Center of the Triad.
Greensboro’s Rhinoceros Times has taken the "journalistically irresponsible" step of publishing two of "the interculturally irresponsible Danish cartoons which provoked major Muslim demonstrations around the world," Badi Ali explained.
"We do not know whether the newspaper reprinted the cartoons to exacerbate the earlier provocation, expand and promote its already wide circulation, or offend Greensboro Muslims. We do know, however, that the Rhinoceros Times commited what constitutes major offense against responsible freedom of the press and the Beloved Community of which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke," Badi Ali said.
"We call on all people of good will and faith to boycott and condemn the newspaper by canceling advertising and withholding readership. We cannot sit by as people of good will and do nothing.
"Furthermore, we demand apologies from the publisher, William Hammer, and the editor, Don Hammer, for the insult to Islam, apologies to all of Greensboro’s peacemakers, one-community advocates, and civic leaders.
"The Rhinoceros Times has yelled Fire! in the crowded theater. American jurisprudence recognizes that so yelling fire is wrongful and repugnant. What is worse is that the cartoons published in the Rhinoceros Times risks the killing of Greensboro’s reputation as a city of compassion, understanding, and leadership against insensitivity."
The Rhinoceros Times is a free distribution weekly "intended to entertain and inform" its readers "world-wide." It is published in Greensboro and Charlotte and is a member of the North Carolina Press Association.
"It is not humorous to flaunt such religious and social bigotry, hatred, and ignorance"
"It grieves me as an American and long-time citizen of Greensboro to see a prominent Greensboro businessman and newspaperman foolishly demonstrate such poor taste, poor journalism, poor sense, reckless indecency, and aimless jingoism.
"The God of Islam, Judaism and Christianity expects us all to do better by each other than to ridicule his messengers and prophets."
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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