By Nigel Maxwell

P.A. doctor not upset by controversial magazine cover

Jan 16, 2015 | 11:12 AM

Dr. Syad Ali, a member of Prince Albert’s Muslim community, is not rattled by the most recent issue of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

The cover features a depiction of the Prophet Mohammed, weeping.  He’s holding a sign that reads, “Je Suis Charlie,” and overhead is the phrase “All is forgiven.”  Many Muslims view the caricatures of Muhammad as an insult to Islam.

“I remember six years ago, the first time the cartoons were published, and there [were] big rallies and a lot of demonstrations. I said at that time this is nothing really, this is really just excitement that you have been trapped in, so you should just let it go,” said Ali.

A terrorist attack last week in Paris, mainly targeting Charlie Hebdo’s staff, left 12 people dead.

Ali said he does not condone the violence, but at the same time, he said he can understand why it happened.

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“The Muslims grow up having a lot of respect for Muhammad as a companion, so this is kind [of] hurtful. It seems very disrespectful,” he said. “People do act sort of silly when they hear these types of stories. They don’t know how to react to those sorts of things so they become angry and frustrated. 

Ali compares the emotions to having a close family member made fun of. That being said, Ali says the Muslim people are taught to show patience.

“Our reaction should be more sober and confided. We can show our dislike of those issues but we cannot go overboard,” said Ali. “There is no point ever that you cross the limit and become aggressive.

Ali added that the violence was the work of a small group of extremists and does not reflect the greater Muslim community. Yemen’s top al-Qaida leader has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Ali said that the local Prince Albert Muslim community is very close and talks about these issues daily.  Ali said he is not concerned about any sort of local backlash from the attacks in France.

nmaxwell@panow.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell