Rabat - Saudi Arabia's Shura Council is moving forward to consider new amendments to its audiovisual law , which would force female television anchors on Saudi-funded channels to wear an abaya and scarf.

Multiple reports said that Noura Al-Odwan, a female member of the council, convinced the Saudi Culture and Media Affairs committee to take the initiative to present the controversial amendments to lawmakers.

According to Arab News, this proposal comes after Noura Al-Odwan criticized the appearance of some presenters, saying, “they used too much makeup”, drawing flak from the male Shura members and female anchors.

Al Watan reported that Saudi anchorwomen who work for state-owned channels are not included in this bill; it will only apply to anchors on privately owned channels funded by Saudi Arabia. Although Noura Al-Odwan has previously criticized anchorwomen who work for state-owned channels, by saying they use too much makeup, she did not include them in her proposal.

This issue has already provoked a heated debate among Saudi bloggers, according to Arab News. While some of them praised the new amendments, others insisted that the Shura Council "should not waste their valuable time discussing such silly issues."

Rabat - Moroccans are among the happiest and most optimistic people in the world for the year 2015, says the latest global barometer of confidence in the future released by WIN/Gallup International.

According to the barometer, Morocco is the 5th most confident country in the world for 2015, right between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

The poll surveyed 64,000 respondents from 65 countries around the world between September and December 2014.

In Morocco, the poll used a sample of 1,000 people aged between 18 and 65. 75% of the Moroccan respondents believe that 2015 will be better than 2014, 7% said the new year will be worse and 13% expect it to be similar to 2014.

Economically, 70% of Moroccan respondents expressed their confidence in the kingdom's economic prosperity in 2015. 17% think that the situation will remain the same, while 10% expect economic hardships looming in the horizon.

In terms of happiness, 78% of Moroccan respondents said they are happy, 5% expressed their unhappiness, while 16% said they did not experience any of these feelings.

"While the outlook for the global economy remains unpredictable, our happiness refuses to decline and remains high in the entire world," says the President of WIN/ Gallup International Association.

New York - It is my strong belief that the Quran contains the best personal-development technology in existence. I came to Islam after having explored several other spiritual traditions and endless self-improvement courses and books. I can attest to the enormous power of the Quran’s unique teachings to transform our lives for the better. Growth and transformation, however, require strong focus, discipline and sustained effort. If we lack discipline and determination, we can begin by making a sincere intention to increase them and pray with earnestness for God’s help.

In Islam, we have all the tools we need to succeed and we must put them to use.

The following five lessons from the Quran can transform our lives in profound ways:

Every Little Thing Matters

Human beings have the tendency to think that the small actions we do on a daily basis are irrelevant and that only big decisions have the power to affect the course of our lives. This view is mistaken. Small actions are our lives and they create our future because life builds on a moment-by-moment basis.

The Quran tells us that “Anyone who does an atom’s weight of good will see it, And anyone who does an atom’s weight of harm will see it” (99:7-8). This is very powerful because at any given moment, what we do is a small step, and therefore, easy to control.

In The Quran and the Life of Excellence, Dr. Sultan Abdulhameed explains that “many times people are overwhelmed thinking that something big has to happen to change their life around. These ayas remind us of the power of taking small steps. Make a list of the many things you can do today. Decide on one item that is good for you and that you know you can do. Then do it. However weak or off-track a person may be, he or she is usually strong enough to take one step in the right direction. The next day will offer this opportunity again. Everything we say or do makes a difference, and it accumulates. The opportunity to make a better future is in the small steps we take hour by hour and day by day.”

The Value of Time

Our time is truly our only resource in life and it is the most precious asset that we have. Imam al-Ghazali gives excellent advice on how to make the best use of it:

You should structure your time, arrange your regular devotions and assign to each function a set period of time during which it is given first priority but which it does not overstep. For if you abandon yourself to neglect and purposelessness, as cattle do, and just do anything that may occur to you at any time it happens to occur to you, most of your time will be wasted. Your time is your life, and your life is your capital; it is the basis of your transactions with God, and the means to attain to everlasting felicity, in the proximity of God the Exalted. Each of your breaths is a priceless jewel, and when it passes away it never returns.

Unless we learn to manage our time, we will be unable to achieve anything of value: “By the passage of Time, Verily, man is in loss, Except those who develop faith, and do good deeds, And join together in the mutual teachings of Truth. And of patience and constancy.” (Surat Al-Asr). Here, the Quran gives clear instruction on the activities that are worthwhile pursuing and spending our time in.

Mindless, meaningless continuous entertainment is a complete waste of life and is entirely against the teachings of Islam. It is something we must be very careful about since it is promoted constantly in our instant gratification and consumerism focused society. We must be vigilant about our time and consciously decide how to spend it. We are accountable to God for how we spend our time.

Problems Are Opportunities

This teaching from The Quran and the Life of Excellence changed my life: “God is like a coach in the gym who wants me to jump over the bar. He sets it high enough so that I will hit the bar and fall, until I figure out how to jump higher.”

If we believe that God is Most Merciful, Most Compassionate and is our Sustainer, it is easy to also believe that problems exist for our benefit and always come with solutions. And therein lies the key to our growth:

“And behold, with every hardship comes ease. Indeed, with every hardship comes ease” (94: 5-6). This aya tells us that with the problem comes the solution. The solution is not separate from the problem. For example, if my problem is that I hate my meaningless low-paying job, the solution is to find a meaningful one that compensates me adequately. It is not easy, of course, to attain this, but the process of getting there will cause me to grow tremendously as an individual. And with faith, effort, sustained focus and determination, I will succeed.

However, it is important to be aware that if we wallow on the problem itself, instead of directing our energy to the potential solutions, and we lament constantly about how miserable our job makes us rather than confronting it by taking action, thinking of ideas and seeking other work, the negativity will attract more negativity and keep us stuck where we are.

What will be the positive outcome if this difficulty is resolved?

What can I do to make this situation better?

Who can help me to resolve this difficulty?

Self-Confidence Through Reliance in God

Lack of self-confidence is an epidemic in our society. People look for it in all the wrong places where it can never be found. As Muslims, our strong sense of self-confidence is derived from our personal knowledge and understanding that God is always ready and willing to assist us when we pursue a higher purpose.

We take purposeful action and are confident in our decisions and in our abilities because we are convinced that God wants us to succeed and to be the very best we can be. We have faith that God wants us to utilize to a maximum, and for the highest purpose, all the talents and abilities he gifted us with. This is why the self-confidence and determination of a Muslim who has strong faith is unshakable.

Will Power as a Result of Faith

Strong will power and perseverance are required to achieve any goal in life. Without will power and sustained effort, a person cannot do anything. The Quran explains that “one of the basic weaknesses in human nature which impedes self development is the weakness of will.” (In the Early Hours, p. 12). When narrating the story of Adam, God states: “And indeed, long ago, We made Our covenant with Adam; but he forgot, and We found no firmness of purpose in him” (20:115).

As most of us have experienced, it is very difficult to achieve anything with will power alone. We need faith and prayer to sustain our efforts. Irada is faith. Faith is the very thing that gives us the strength to systematically and continuously persevere in our efforts. We believe God will help us to attain our objective and we act based on this conviction. In other words, we express our faith through our actions. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) achieved so much in his life because of his strong faith, which he acquired through prayer and the constant remembrance of God. Prayer sustained him and allowed him to always act with strength, conviction and hope. Of course, this assumes that our objective is a high one and has as its ultimate purpose seeking the pleasure of God. We will be unable to succeed if this is not the case.

May Allah grant us the ability to apply these powerful teachings to our lives and to make 2015 our best year yet, one that leads to personal success and to the resurgence of Muslims worldwide.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed

Rabat - In a video posted on YouTube, a Moroccan takfiri sheikh attacked Amazigh activist Ahmed Assid and the Secretary General of the USFP party Driss Lachgar.

Sheikh, Abu Naim, posted a video on YouTube on New Year's Eve in which he attacked the two men, describing Amazigh activist and researcher, Ahmed Assid, as a "mad dog" and USFP leader, Driss Lachgar, a "stinky pig".

Abu Naim attacked Assid following an article in he called for the protection of women against the violence perpetrated by Muslim clerics (Fouqahas). Abu Naim said that women do not need to be defended against the Fouqahas, addig that Assid's article is an “attack against Islam and the prophet.”

The controversial sheikh also lashed out at USFP's Driss Lachgar for defending the idea that men and women should be equal in terms of inheritance.

In February 2014, Abu Naim was given a one- month suspended sentence for accusing Lachgar, Assid and several other personalities of apostasy.

Rabat - Following some men’s complaints about male strangers sitting next to their wives, Saudi Arabian national airline Saudia is moving forward to segregate men and women on its airplanes.

According to news360, Saudia will order staff to keep men and women segregated on board their planes, unless they are close relatives.

Multiple reports suggest that the policy change came in response to complaints from men unwilling to allow other males to sit next to their wives and other female family members.

Saudi daily Ajel quoted Saudia assistant manager for marketing Abdul Rahman Al Fahd as saying that “there are solutions to this problem…we will soon enforce rules that will satisfy all passengers.”

This policy comes as part of Saudi Arabia’s culture of gender segregation, which is deeply rooted in the mentality of minimizing the exposure of women in society.

In Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to travel or work until they get their male guardian’s (mahram) approval.

Saudi Arabian women are not allowed to work as cabin crewmembers on Saudi Arabia’s national carriers. Instead, Saudi Arabia’s national airlines employ women from other countries, including Morocco, as flight attendants.

Rabat - Nekour Center for Culture and Freedom called on the head of the Moroccan Government to recognize the Amazigh New Year as a national holiday.

The El Hoceima-based NGO said that all Moroccans must be given a day off in order to celebrate the Amazigh New Year.

The NGO also said that the Amazigh culture and language have contributed in the enrichment of the Moroccan culture and identity, therefore it the Amazigh New Year should be recognized as a national holiday to all Moroccans.

Known as "Yennayer", Amazigh people across North Africa celebrate the new Amazigh New Year on January 12th.

Yennayer is the first day of the agrarian calendar year used since ancient times by Amazigh people throughout North Africa. Even though this day has not yet been recognized officially in Morocco as a national holiday, most of Moroccans never miss this occasion to celebrate and exchange wishes and prayers during this day, which marks the beginning of a new Amazigh year.

Although Amazigh New Year Event is celebrated by many Moroccans, every January 12, only few people do realize the symbolic and historical implications of this event.

Under different names, Yennayer is celebrated by both Arab and Amazigh speaking communities. The Arab speaking community in old cities referred to this traditional event as “Haguza” or “Aam Alfilahi” (the Agrarian year). However, The Amazigh people, more precisely those dwelling in the south east of Morocco, call it “Id Suggas” (the night of the year). “Id Suggas” is a very traditional festivity on the Eve of the Amazigh New Year.

Rabat- A Moroccan living in Spain was denied Spanish citizenship on grounds he could not identify the name of the stadium of FC Barcelona.

The Moroccan, who was legally residing in Spain since 1999, was unable to obtain the Spanish nationality because he did not know the name of FC Barcelona's stadium: The Camp Nou.

He also failed to answer other questions such as the name of a television presenter who is married to a famous Torero (bullfighter) and the name of the then Princess of Asturias.

In total, the Moroccan identified as "Rodrigo" failed to answer 17 out of the 31 questions about Spanish culture and society in the integration test.

The Moroccan was denied the Spanish citizenship on grounds that "he was not aware of the basic issue in Spain," reported ABC Espana.

However, the justice stepped in and regarded the errors as 'anecdotal' that could hardly be justified based on the lack of integration.

It went to highlight that the Moroccan national was able to answer more important questions such as the correct classification of the Spanish political system, the royal dynasty, name of the mayor of the municipality, the Spanish National Day and certain internationally renowned Spanish athletes.

Given his rather 'impressive' record in answering the questions which demonstrate sufficient institutional knowledge, the judge finally approved Rodrigo's right to obtain the Spanish citizenship.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed.

Marrakech - Twenty-five Moroccans were included on Interpol’s list of wanted people on the organization’s website, charged with crimes both in Morocco or abroad.

The wanted people are accused of several different crimes, including terrorism, kidnapping, illegal possession of weapons, rape, sexual assault, drug trafficking, and murder.

Most of them are between the ages of 24 and 66, carry the Moroccan nationality, and belong to several different cities, such as Casablanca, Settat, Tangier, Guerssif and other.

The 24-year-old Moroccan-Dutch national Mohamed Faghlal is accused of committing several crimes, including “extortion, theft, theft in association, violent theft, violation of the fire arms and munitions law, illegal possession of a fire arm and cartridges”, according to the Interpol website

The oldest wanted Moroccan is a dual Moroccan-Canadian national. El Fehdi Ahmed, 66, is accused of “appropriating property through swindling”, according to the same sources.

Besides the wanted Moroccan men, two women are included.

A 37-year-old Moroccan-Canadian woman is charged with abduction in violation of a custody order, while the other, a 45-year-old Moroccan-Syrian is accused of removal of a minor from the authority and in loco parentis.

Besides the 25 wanted Moroccans, more than 95 Libyans, more than 150 Egyptians, 20 Algerians, and 12 Tunisians are also included in the list.

Fes - On Wednesday, many Arabs and Muslims around the world were impatient to welcome the New Year with various types of festivities, blindly imitating Western practices, the roots of which stem from a foreign historical background to Moroccans.

Happy as I was enjoying dinner with my family, I thought about national and religious celebrations that are worth glorifying, too. Unfortunately, some have forgotten them; others marginalize them; few celebrate them. Our national and religious events should be celebrated radiantly to firmly assert our identity and support our culture.

There is absolutely no problem in celebrating the New Year.. Islam acknowledges and glorifies all prophets, and advocates plurality. After all, my objective is not to defend religion as much as it is to reinforce identity. The problem is our lethargy celebrating Moroccan traditions, some of which have perished while focusing on foreign customs that make many confused about who we really are. A week before the New Year, one feels an unusual change in people’s daily activities. They are getting ready for the New Year’s Eve party. At the same time, many of them discuss the religious legitimacy of celebrating the prophet’s birthday, which occurs shortly after the New Year, claiming that it is a novelty in the religion that was not celebrated by Islam’s first followers or the prophet himself.

I am utterly dismayed that Morocco’s national celebrations have become marginalized and only few people endeavor to resuscitate them. This  undermines our identity, which we have to preserve and be proud of. We have to prove ourselves an independent nation that cherishes its cultural heritage and appreciates difference.

We are tolerant and ready to mingle with people from different religions backgrounds, but not at the price of making our traditions obsolete to the extent that will affect our children and transform our identity.

Worse yet, some have adopted strange habits in international celebrations like the New Year.  They drink lot of alcohol until they lose control of themselves. In doing this, they imitate nobody, but follow their evil thoughts while university hospitals in Morocco receive several victims of violence and accidents because of over-drinking. This is not part of our sacred heritage and it does not reflect the principles we believe in.

If we are willing to celebrate the New Year, let it be a great opportunity to start anew with more challenging objectives and a great spirit to make Morocco a better place. However enthusiastically we celebrate, we have to be sure that we respect our society’s norms and ethics.

Rabat - After sparking controversy for warning against Pro-Gaza Demonstration, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has reportedly issued a new controversial fatwa suggesting that celebrating the birthday of Islam’s Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is “sinful.”

On Friday, Muslims around the world celebrated the birth of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). In many countries, including Morocco, Muslims honored the birth of their Prophet in a ritual called the Mawlid.

These popular practices are festive occasions that are often celebrated by remembering episodes from the life of the Prophet or by reciting devotional poetry..

It is also an opportunity for parents to take their children with them to the mosque and teach them about the Prophet's teachings, bravery, and forgiving character. Some families also make sure to donate to charity in honor of the Prophet’s birthday.

However, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti and the General President for Scientific Researches and Fatwa Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh objects to such celebrations, according to Arab News.

In his Friday congregational sermon at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh reportedly said that celebrating the Prophet’s birthday is a bidaa- sinful religious innovation-that “crept into Islam after the first three centuries, when the companions and successors of the companions lived.”

He also claimed  that those who urge others to celebrate the birthday of the Prophet are “evil and corrupt.”

The Grand Mufti clarified that love of the prophet should be expressed by following the Prophet’s teachings detailed in the Sunnah, rather than celebrating his birthday.

 In an attempt to support his claims, he quoted a verse from the holy Quran, in which Allah says:  “If you do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive your sins.”

On the other hand, Omid Safi, Director of Duke University's Islamic Studies Center, says that Muslims who honor Muhammad’s birthday do it out of a deep love for Muhammad that brings them closer to God. He explained saying:

“For those who identify as Salafi, and wish to abide only by practices that they believe originate in the Qur’an and the example of Muhammad, it is a way of honoring the desire to practice Islam as Muhammad would have wanted us to do, without what is deemed to be later accretions and potentially dubious practices.”

“As the Prophet himself is to have said, disagreement among the scholars is a mercy,” Omid Safi concluded.

This is not the first time Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh has released a controversial fatwa.

Last year, while several demonstrations were being organized in Arab and non-Arab countries in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, he said that these demonstrations “are just useless demagogic actions.”

Marrakech - The Amazigh Cultural Network in the US is hosting a celebration to ring in the Amazigh new year 2965 in Armory Hall, in Everett, Massachusetts. The event will take place on January 24 from 5:00pm to 10:00pm.

Unlike the Christian and Islamic calendar, the Amazigh calendar does not correlate with any religious event, but triggers off of an historic event: the anniversary of the victory of the Amazigh leader Shashank I in the reign of Ramses II over the Pharaohs, and the unification of Libya with Egypt and the Levant.

Since that time (measured as 950 BC in the Christian calendar), the Amazigh people have celebrated annually the triumph of Shashank, the founder of the 22nd Family in the reign of Ramses II. The Amazigh New Year’s Eve corresponds also to the eve of the Agricultural Year in North Africa (a calendar adopted by farmers to determine when they can cultivate their fields according to defined periods.

The celebration provides an opportunity to discover traditional live Amazigh music and dance, from different regions of North Africa, and features an exhibition table demonstrating the close relations of the Amazigh community in the US to its home land, Tamazgha, in North Africa, according to a news release obtained by MWN.

Special guest, singer and Arabs Got Talent star Jennifer Grout, will perform during the celebration.

The organizers welcome all Amazigh and other interested people to attend the celebration and enjoy traditional Amazigh cuisine, including couscous and hot tea with mint.

Edited by Elisabeth Myers

Marrakech - A majority of Moroccans interviewed by Chouf TV in Casablanca do not agree with the recent conditions set by Facebook. Many expressed their intention to use other social media, such as Tsu, rather than accept Facebook’s new rules.

Facebook’s new rules allow the company to check users’ personal details, including posts, pictures, and even conversations. Most of those who were interviewed said that they would try other social media, such as Tsu, because they “cannot accept conditions that violate users’ personal freedom.”

Few of the interviewees said that it is normal for people to have no secrets on their Facebook accounts. On the “Green” social network Tsu, Moroccans make up 12.1 percent of users worldwide.  US users top the list, with 19.9 percent of total users, followed by the Japanese with 12.1 percent. India and Egypt are ranked fourth and fifth with 8.7 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively.

Edited by Timothy Filla

Rabat - Maroc Telecome, Morocco’s leading telecommunications company, has revealed that Moroccans sent more than 100 million SMS (short message service) messages on New Year’s Eve and Al Mawlide.

It seems that texting has become a time-honored tradition anda part of festive occasions in Morocco. Maroc Telecome’s customers’ SMS traffic reportedly increased significantly during the New Year's Eve and the feast of Eid Al-Mawlid.

According to the company, more than 55 million text messages were sent on New Year’s Eve, an increase of 30 percent compared to last year.

Rabat - Morocco ranks fifth in the top ten African countries with the most active Twitter accounts.

According to a recent press release by Twitter, there are more than 80,000 active users in the kingdom.

South Africa, which is among the top ten worldwide, heads the list of the African countries with active Twitter accounts.

Moroccan movie actors, singers and TV stars are among the most popular personalities using Twitter.

The comedian and actor Gad Elmaleh has 2.9 million followers, closely followed by his friend and fellow Jamel Debbouze with 2.7 million.

Although the two stars are Moroccans, they live in France.

Currently, Moroccan singer Salma Rachid is the top twitter gainer with more than 671.000 followers since she joined Twitter in December 2012.

Rabat- According to media sources, French authorities have identified the three perpetrators of the terrorist attack that targeted French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and claimed the lives of 12 people.

The Paris shooters are allegedly two brothers, 34-year-old Said Kouachi and 32-year-old Cherif. They were both born in Paris and hold the French citizenship. They are both of Algerian descent, according to USA Today. The third person is 18-year old Mourad Hamid whose nationality has not been disclosed yet.

Masked men with guns attacked the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo this morning at around 11:30, killing 12 people and injuring seven.

The firefight broke in the headquarters of the weekly Charlie Hebdo, Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, near the Bastille district, in central Paris.

Before they escaped, the Shooters reportedly said "We have avenged the Prophet, Charlie Hebdo is dead."President Francois Hollande immediately headed to the scene. "This is a terrorist attack, there is no doubt about it," he told reporters.

According to eyewitnesses, the terrorists told bystanders in the street to inform the media that they were members of Al Qaeda in Yemen before carrying out their attack on Charlie Hebdo.

Rabat - The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) issued a statement today condemning"with the utmost determination" the "barbaric" attack on the offices of the weekly French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo,which killed 12 people.

In a communiqué published on its official website, CFCM said that this attack is also an attack"against democracy and freedom of the press."

“Our heartfelt thoughts are with the victims and their families, to whom we express our total solidarity in the terrible ordeal that affects them,” wrote the Council.

The Council called on the Muslim community to show the utmost vigilance against possible manipulation of Islam from groups associated with extremists of any kind.

In a separate statement, the Union of Islamic Organizations of France (UOIF), an organization with close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, condemned "in the strongest terms this criminal attack, and these horrible murders."

In a video posted on YouTube, Hassen Chalghoumi, imam of the Drancy mosque in Paris’s Seine-Saint-Denis northern suburb, also denounced the attack, saying he is extremely angered by the murders and called the attackers criminals and barbarians.

“They have sold their souls to hell. This is not freedom. This is not Islam and I hope the French will come out united at the end of this,” he added.

Edited by Timothy Filla

Rabat - Some twitter users in France are opposed to reports that claim Mourad Hamyd is one of the attackers who were responsible for the massacre of 12 people, saying he is innocent.

A few hours after the attack that occurred at the Paris offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, many reports said that French authorities identified the three perpetrators of the terrorist act.

According to the reports, the Paris shooters are allegedly two brothers, 34-year-old Said Kouachi and 32-year-old Cherif, while the third person is 18-year old Mourad Hamyd.

However, as soon as the names of the authors hit the headlines, Mourad Hamyd’s friends took to social media, saying that their friend is innocent.

Mourad Hamyd’s friends said that he was at school when the attack occurred.

These students who claim to be Mourad’s friends launched the hash-tag "#MouradHamydInnocent," on social media. It has become one of the most trending hash-tags on twitter and Facebook in France.

However, Mourad Hamyd appears to have handed himself in to the police. Sources quoted by France24 confirmed that the youngest of the three suspects in the Paris attack surrendered to police.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed.

Rabat - Rupert Murdoch has sparked controversy after saying that all Muslims should be held responsible for the actions of Jihadists.

The media mogul made the controversial comments three days following the terrorist attack in Paris.

He said that even peaceful Muslims must be held responsible for the actions of terrorists until the "jihadist cancer is destroyed."

He wrote on Twitter: "Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible."

Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible. — Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) January 10, 2015

"Big jihadist danger looming everywhere from Philippines to Africa to Europe to US," he said. "Political correctness makes for denial and hypocrisy," he added.

Big jihadist danger looming everywhere from Philippines to Africa to Europe to US. Political correctness makes for denial and hypocrisy. — Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) January 10, 2015

The comments of the News Corp boss have sparked outrage on the social network.

J.K Rowling, author of Harry Potter novels, condemned the comments, saying "I was born Christian. If that makes Rupert Murdoch my responsibility, I'll auto-excommunicate."

I was born Christian. If that makes Rupert Murdoch my responsibility, I'll auto-excommunicate. http://t.co/Atw1wNk8UX — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) January 11, 2015

"The Spanish Inquisition was my fault, as is all Christian fundamentalist violence," she added.

.@dom209 The Spanish Inquisition was my fault, as is all Christian fundamentalist violence. Oh, and Jim Bakker. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) January 11, 2015

Other users took to the internet to apologize on Rupert's behalf. One user said: "Rupert thinks all Muslims should apologize for terrorism. So on behalf of white people I'd like to apologize for Rupert Murdoch."

Another one wrote: "Maybe most Ruperts peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy cancerous media dinosaur @rupertmurdoch, they must be held responsible.

Australian comedian Adam Hills also slammed Murdoch, calling him 'growing pus sore.'

"Maybe all Australian lovely but until we recognize and destroy the growing pus sore that is @rupertmurdoch we must be held accountable.

Rabat - Here is another provocation from the French media that adds to a long line of provocations that generated a ton of controversy.

'France 2' television aired a mocking interview with the Prophet Mohammed during a tribute show titled "Je Suis Charlie" in honor of the victims of the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

The French television invited many artists to come and pay tribute to the victims and "reaffirm their commitment to the freedom of the press."

Using a sound depiction, Host Charline Vanhoenacker conducted a fictional phone interview with "the prophet Mohammed", asking questions about certain verses of the Quran and the Charlie Hebdo attackers.

The mocking video has sparked outrage among social media users, describing the video as 'shocking' and 'disgusting'.