Putin says insulting Prophet Muhammad 'violation of freedom of religion'

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said insulting Prophet Muhammad is a violation of freedom of religion and a violation of the holy feelings of people who profess Islam.

This freedom should have in its basis respect for everyone whose feelings can be affected, Putin said at his annual news conference on Thursday.

"What are insults against the Prophet Muhammad? Is this creative freedom? I think not. This is a violation of freedom of religion and a violation of the holy feelings of people who profess Islam, and this brings to life other, even more, acute and extremist manifestations," he said.

The same respect must be shown to the memory of people who fought in World War II against Nazi Germany, and in this regard posting Nazi Germany's leader Adolf Hitler portraits on the website commemorating the contribution of the soldiers to the victory in this war is unacceptable, he stressed.

"Russia was formed as a multinational and multi-confessional state, and we are used to basically treat each other's interests and traditions with respect. This is indeed a very powerful base of existence, a solid basis for the existence of Russia as a multinational state," he said.