From the MSA
Muslim Students’ Association
As members of the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), we unite with the 1.3 billion Muslims in the world in our disapproval of the appalling cartoons of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, first published in the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in Denmark, and recently in silhouette form in The Peak. Freedom of expression is one of the defining features of our Canadian constitution. It is a colossal mistake and imprudent to abuse and misuse this core constitutional principle by using it as a pretext to justify a deliberate insult against millions of Muslims. The MSA respects the freedom of press and expression, but at the same time, it reserves its right to preserve and honour its responsibility towards the Prophet and Islam. That is why we issue this statement, once again, to voice our disapproval of the caricatures published in The Peak last week. As a reminder, the Human Rights Agency in the United Nations adopted a decree on the 12th of April, 2005, which bans ridicule, distortions, and vicious attacks against religious decrees — especially against Islam on the basis that it has been strongly attacked in the last few years. In closing, the MSA is honoured to be an integrated part of the SFU larger community and as such, it strives to foster an environment of respect and mutual tolerance amongst the various social, religious, and political ideological groups on campus.