Blasphemy

Xmas is a common abbreviation for Christmas that many Christiams object to, believing that it is less “Christian” than the ordinary spelling. The truth is that, in the Xmas version of the word, the X comes from the Greek letter Chi (X) – that is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός (Christ).

Turkish artist Bedri Baykam will hold a press conference to protest Saudi Arabia's recent decision to sentence Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh to death.

Baykam, the president of the International Art Association, will hold a press conference at Piramid Sanat in Istanbul's central Taksim neighborhood at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 7 to raise awareness about the impending execution.

Now towering over this violent port city in Pakistan, where Islamic militant attacks and gangland shootings remain common, is an uncommon sight in this Muslim-majority country: a 42-meter (140-foot) Christian cross.
     

The number of websites blocked in Turkey is approaching 68,000 with the recent addition of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo?s official site, as well as specific pages from the country?s most popular Internet forums. 

While stoning is commonly believed to be the penalty for adultery in Islam, flogging was far more readily used following convictions for marital infidelity In "The Big Wedding," one of the two main characters in the Turkish shadow play Karagöz is getting married.

The man who terrorized Danish capital Copenhagen on Saturday, by opening fire against two targets, a Free Speech event and a Synagogue, killing two people, is dead.

Early on Sunday, the Police identified the suspect near a train station. Realizing what was going on, the man opened fire. The police officers fired back and shot the man dead.

One person has been killed and at least three police officers were wounded during a shooting at a café in Copenhagen, hosting a debate on the issue of Free Speech.

Perhaps the world has never been so close to a threat of the clash of civilizations since the time of the Crusades. The situation is probably far worse than in medieval times. It is neither about insults to the Prophet Muhammad, nor blasphemy against Islam. Such developments are just the tips of the iceberg.

There is no doubt that the attack on Charlie Hebdo is a cruel crime that all people of all faiths should condemn. I, for my part, denounce the cold-blooded murderers who apparently acted in the name of my faith, Islam, but violated one of its core principles: The sanctity of human life.

More than 100,000 people gathered across France to pay tribute to the victims of Wednesday's massacre by Islamist gunmen in Paris, as thousands also rallied in other European cities and the "I Am Charlie" hashtag swept the Internet.