MANAMA — Bahrain’s top religious councils have strongly condemned the publication of cartoons offending Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Bahrain News Agency reported.

In a statement on Tuesday, Bahrain’s Sunni Endowment Council denounced the offensive cartoons, stressing that such despicable acts stoke racism, hatred, and extremism, promote violence, and undermine the efforts to achieve coexistence and peace.

The council stressed support to a statement issued by Bahrain’s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, affirming that such reprehensible acts incite racism and hatred, fuel extremism, encourage violence and conflict, and undermine the efforts to achieve coexistence and peace among people.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Jaffari Endowments Council describing the publication of cartoons as a flagrant breach of the values of tolerance and coexistence among religions and civilizations.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Jaffari Endowments Council emphasized its categorical rejection of attempts to involve Muslim symbols and their sanctities in narrow agendas that do not serve co-existence and harmony, but rather fuel hatred discourse and violence, and do not preserve global peace.

In this regard, the Jaffari Endowments Council backed the statement issued by the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, which clearly expressed the categorical rejection of such actions and practices.

The council affirmed that the eternal stature and sanctity of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) will not be affected by the unacceptable offenses, adding that the Seerah (Life) of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), and good conduct of his family and companions will remain a beacon of tolerance, fraternity, justice and equality among all human beings, and guiding principles for Muslims and advocates of peace and goodness.

The council stressed that the world yearns for promoting the culture of tolerance and dialogue among civilizations and religions, rejects violence, hatred, and contempt, and seeks to put an end to encroachment on beliefs and religions.

The council expressed hope that the perpetrators of the rejected practices will come to their senses and logic, calling for the preservation of the sanctities and symbols of all religions in order to maintain human and civilized values and strengthen the bonds of communication, coexistence, and peace among all peoples and civilizations. — SG