Things must have been a little too quiet for Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders lately, after all US President Donald Trump has been more a public anti-Muslim irritant since he ran for President. Not one to be overshadowed where Islam and Muslims are concerned Wilders has once more decided to stir things up by holding a contest to draw the Holy Prophet of Islam, peace and blessings be on him. The fact that Wilders has been allowed to hold the caricature contest in the Parliamentary offices of his PVV party almost gives it a kind of validation when one would hope Parliament would try to diffuse any possible trouble before it can be triggered.
Wilders has shown his fanatical anti-Islam stance in the past by calling for bans on the Holy Qur’an and mosques explaining that away by claiming Islam is not a religion. However, encouraging the drawing of cartoons of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, doesn’t support any arguments he may have, rather it is merely another way to offend Muslims by insulting their revered Prophet. This has happened in the past when Danish magazine Jyllands-Posten published caricatures and in another contest in Texas, USA which followed the Charlie Hebdo shootings; in all these cases cartoonists depicted the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in an offensive way and claimed it was to protect their rights to free speech.
Muslims hold the love of God topmost but among humankind the love for the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, comes first. This is illustrated by the fact that any Muslim who writes or speaks his name will add ‘peace and blessings be upon him’ as a mark of respect. In actual fact Muslims believe in and respect all God’s Prophets and will also invoke peace on them when speaking their name. This love and respect will not be undone by offensive cartoon depictions and will not lead to ideological discussions; it will lead to sadness among the majority of Muslims who will find it offensive and even, in reprisal there could potentially be violence among an extremist minority.
So knowing all this it is evident that Wilders is supporting a caricature contest such as this only to insult and offend Muslims despite also knowing that, as with a red rag in front of a bull, it can trigger extremists to retaliate violently and in an un-Islamic way, as in the Charlie Hebdo killings. But it seems that to someone like Geert Wilders, who seems to want to cause trouble, any resulting offence and even violence must be worthwhile.
What instead should be the reaction of peaceful Muslims to this provocation? Invoking ‘Durood’ (salutations) on the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:
“Bless, O Allah, Muhammad and the people of Muhammad, as You did bless Abraham and the people of Abraham…”
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