REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The editorial cartoon appearing on page 7 of the English newspaper in Indonesia, The Jakarta Post, on July 3, is inappropriate, stated Muhammadiyah's Youth Organization's Chairman Saleh Partaonan Daulay.
The cartoon, which depicts a militant trying to raise a flag bearing the image of a skull and an Arabic verse, "Laa ilaha ilallah" on it had sparked protest among Indonesian Muslims as it was considered offensive against Islam.
Muhammadiyah are the second-largest Muslim community in Indonesia.
"The Jakarta Post stated in its apology that the cartoon was meant to protest the ISIS militant group in the Middle East for using religious symbols in carrying out their acts of violence. However, I think it is inappropriate to print it here in Indonesia as it has nothing to do with the Muslim community in this country," emphasized Saleh.
He noted that there were some factors in the cartoon printed by The Jakarta Post, which may have offended the Muslims in Indonesia. The sentence ""Laa ilaaha illallaah" printed on top of the skull flag in the cartoon was sacred to all Muslims in the world. In Islam, "Laa ilaaha illallaah" means human's devotion to Allah, the Almighty.
"Another offending factor in the cartoon was the words, Allah and Muhammad, printed inside the skull picture. The words, Allah and Muhammad, are sacred to Muslims," Saleh added.
Regarding the protest against its caricature, The Jakarta Post daily on July 8 had tendered an apology:
We sincerely apologize for and retract the editorial cartoon printed on page 7 in the July 3, 2014, edition of The Jakarta Post.
The cartoon contained religious symbolism that may have been offensive.
The Post regrets the error in judgment, which was in no way meant to malign or be disrespectful to any religion.
Our intent was to critique the use of religious symbols (specifically the ISIL flag) in acts of violence in general and, in this case, against fellow Muslims. In particular, it was meant as a reproach of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which has threatened to attack the Holy Ka'bah in Mecca as part of its political agenda.
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