Egypt Independent news web site reported that The Muslim Council of Elders, an independent body based in UAE, held an emergency meeting to discuss suing satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo over offensive cartoon depictions of the Prophet Mohamed.
In their statement, the council announced that they will an international legal committee to file a lawsuit against the magazine. They also discussed what they described as a “recent systematic campaign targeting Islam and its holy Prophet” and were critical towards using »freedom of expression« as a justification for insulting Islam.
The Grand Imam of Azhar Ahmed al-Tayyeb on Sunday issued a statement condemning all attempts to involve Islam in “political battles«. Some of the other imam’s remarks coincide with a statement by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the slaying of French teacher Samuel Paty, who Macron said, “embodied the republic.”
Paty was decapitated close to his school near Paris for showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in class. His killer, 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov was shot dead by police shortly after the attack.