WHAT IS THE MEANING?
Bilal will build bridges
Twenty-four year old Bilal Masood, from Pakistan, came to Denmark with the intention of better understanding the country where the cartoons were printed.
MORTEN VESTEGRAAD
In the past few months, students attending high schools in Denmark were visited by a 24-year old youngster from Karachi, Pakistan. Bilal Masood came to Denmark in order to better understand the country where the cartoons were printed.
In Pakistan, he did his masters in public administration from the University of Karachi. He spends most of his time volunteering for democracy in his homeland. He also blogs, founded the network Crossing Borders Pakistan (https://crossingborderspakistan.wordpress.com) , and gathers information about Pakistani children's living conditions for UNICEF.
? What do you hope to accomplish with your stay in Denmark?
“I want to nurture understanding between young people of Denmark and Pakistan. The media focuses on what separates us and our cultures. Therefore you have to yourself meet people. We must talk about the things that unite us.”
In Denmark, Bilal is a student at Krogerup College international line, a stay which is sponsored by CL David Foundation and Sampling, which each year invites one youth from a Muslim country to Denmark. Bilal Masood was selected among 500 applicants. Currently, he is participating in a study tour in Denmark with the international team from Krogerup.
? How do you see Danes?
The young people I meet are festive and friendly. The media is talking about a “clash of civilizations.” But that's not what I experience when I have discussions with young people in Denmark.
There are things in your culture, which I must learn to accept. For example, I do not drink and I've learned that people in Denmark can easily take out both the Queen and Jesus.
Drawings hurt:
Bilal Masood explains that he himself was deeply affected when he heard about the Jyllands-Posten drawings of the Prophet Muhammad.
“It hurt me, and I think it was wrong to print them. But now it has happened, and both parties should try to learn from it. Those who decided to print them should have imagined in themselves what feelings would be stirred. Conversely, we on our side might not have reacted so violently. I'm sure that the Prophet Muhammad would have ignored the drawings.”
? Do you think that by sharing your knowledge we would see a more subdued response if the cartoons were printed again?
No, the reaction would be even stronger because it will be received as if one wants a confrontation. Therefore, we must talk together: we have to create a dialogue. That's why I have come to Denmark.
? Will it be a reasonable reaction?
It's hard to control people's emotions. We must have freedom of speech, but a responsibility follows with this and there are some things that should not be done. I hope that the West will understand this, and meanwhile we also need to understand it is not provocative to make these kinds of drawings in the West. Here it would be a very common thing.
Note: Original interview was published on page 2 of the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in the Danish language on 24-10-2011. Above is the translation of it in the English language.
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