The Islamic Council Norway now regards the controversy around the publishing of the facsimile of the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed as closed, and ask people to not take part in demonstrations that are not authorized.
A total of 46 Muslim organizations in Norway now ask Muslims to accept the apology from the editor of the Christian paper Magazinet, which published the facsimile of the caricatures, first published by the Danish newspaper JyllandsPosten.
Imam Sakandar Sulqarnian says he is grateful for what happened on Friday.
- We thank the Norwegian public and the Norwegian state for having apologized to all Muslims. This has given Norway a high status in the whole world, he says.
The Muslim organizations now ask Norwegian Muslims not to take part in demonstrations which are not backed by any of the organizations.
At its press conference in Oslo Friday afternoon the Islamic Council Norway underlined that the freedom of expression is a basic freedom which must be respected, but states that it is a freedom which also implies responsibility.
The Imams of the Islamic Council also strongly object to the burning of the Norwegian flag, and say that they are offended by both the caricatures and such burning of flags.
