Russian President Putin says disrespecting Prophet Muhammad not freedom of expression

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that insulting Islam's Prophet Mohammed PBUH is not covered by freedom of expression.

The United Russia leader, who has established himself as one pole in the great global debate of the era, said that insults to the Prophet are a violation of religious freedom and the violation of the sacred feelings of people who profess Islam, Russian News Agency TASS reported.

He made the statements during his annual press conference where he stressed the significance of artistic freedom without hindrance to religious freedom.

The 69-year-old asserted artistic freedom in general but also stressed to discern its limits saying it should not attack the freedom of other communities.

Russians are in the tradition of respecting other cultures and religions since the country that represents 11 percent of the world's landmass is evolved as a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society, Putin opined saying this respect comes in short supply in other nations.

The notable statesman also slammed posting photos of Nazis on the internet saying such as the one titled the Immortal Regiment dedicated to Russians that died in World War Two.

He cited an example of the attack on the editorial office of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris after its publication of cartoons of Islam’s Prophet. Adding that such acts rooted extremist reprisals.

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Back in 2006, Putin called the caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad an inadmissible provocation. He condemned blasphemous cartoons saying these incidents create an additional rift between faiths, and offend and provoke worshippers.