Islamic society condemns Italian priest's murder

The Malta Branch of the World Islamic Call Society has stated that the murder of the Italian Catholic priest, Fr Andrea Santoro, in Turkey, did not only target a clergy man but also the religion of Islam and the reputation of Muslims.

The issued statement said that this was because it went against the Islamic values of tolerance, sanctity of the human life and respect for all faiths and religious men.

The Society emphasised that such a heinous crime offended Prophet Mohammed, and all Muslims, as much as the infamous provocative caricatures of the Prophet, which were published in the media.

While it expressed its regret for the unfortunate violent and irresponsible forms of certain manifestations against the recently published drawings, the society appealed to the Danish government to assume and exercise its moral responsibility and offer an official apology to the Muslim world in order to defuse the current tension.