GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip, Feb. 15, 2008
Cartoon Reprint Reignites Fiery Protests
Danish Newpapers Anger Muslims By Supporting Artist Of Prophet Muhammad Cartoon
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Pakistani demonstrators burn a Danish flag during a protest rally in Lahore, Pakistan on Feb. 15, 2008. Dozens of protesters demonstrated in Lahore on Friday to condemn the reprinting of Prophet Muhammad cartoons in Danish newspapers and to urge the government to expel Denmark's ambassador. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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A man walks past the Copenhagen offices of the Jyllands-Posten newspaper, Feb. 12, 2008. The newspaper on Feb. 13, 2008 reprinted a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad which two years earlier sparked mass outcry among Muslims around the world. (AP Photo/John McConnico)
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Fast Facts Denmark Learn about the people, economy and history.
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Photo Essay Riots In Pakistan Images of the rioting that has swept through Pakistan - and the Muslim world - to protest a cartoon in a Danish newspaper.
Thousands of residents in the conservative Gaza Strip ruled by the militant Islamic Hamas movement marched in the Jebaliya refugee camp chanting: "What Denmark said is heresy."
"It is shameful that Denmark should renew its offense against the prophet," Hamas official Mushir al-Masri told reporters at the protest.
In Pakistan, hundreds of people rallied in various parts of the country, setting fire to Danish flags and demanding the Danish ambassador's expulsion. And in Denmark, a prominent Danish imam urged rioting youth to stop setting fires and hurling rocks at police.
The protests came after Denmark's leading newspapers reproduced one of 12 cartoons of Islam's prophet Wednesday in a gesture of solidarity after police said they uncovered a plot to kill the cartoon's artist. The drawings had sparked deadly riots across the Muslim world in 2006.
About 200 students from the International Islamic University in Islamabad vowed to organize a street march next Friday if the government did not accept their demand.
"We are even ready to sacrifice our life for our beloved Prophet," said Mahmood Sadiqui, a student leader.
About 200 people held a similar rally in Multan, a main city in the eastern Punjab province, burning Danish flags and chanting "Death to the Cartoonist!" and "Boycott, boycott of European products!"
At two rallies in Pakistan's biggest city of Karachi, about 150 supporters from radical Islamic parties torched effigies of the Danish prime minister amid calls to boycott Danish products.
Mohammad Imran, a student leader from Islami Jamiat Talba, a student organization linked with Pakistan's largest Islamic political group, Jamaat-e-Islami, called the cartoon "blasphemous."
"We demand the rulers to sever diplomatic ties" with Denmark and Sweden for publishing the cartoons. "The cartoonist and publisher must be hanged."
It was the second protest in Karachi in as many days. Dozens of Islamic students set fire to a Danish flag on Thursday. In Pakistan, blasphemy of Muhammad is considered a serious crime that carries the death sentence.
In Copenhagen, about 800 people protested peacefully in a march organized by the radical Muslim group Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Meanwhile, a prominent Danish imam urged rioting youth to stop setting fires and hurling rocks at police after a fifth consecutive night of vandalism there and in other Danish cities.
"Please stop what you're doing," Imam Mostafa Chendid, the leader of the Islamic Faith Community, said in an address to young people during Friday's prayer. "The prophet has not taught you to burn down schools, or burn cars or infrastructure."
Nine youths were arrested overnight Friday in Copenhagen, six of whom faced preliminary charges for throwing rocks at police officers, police said Friday. There were no reports of injuries.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 64 CommentsThis silly drawing has drawn a fiery truth so simple yet so accurate, that the artist is due a literary award. Kudos to the reprint and standing up for freedom of expression and freedom of speech. The world needs more of it.
Isn''t it true that the point behind not creating "likenesses" of the prophet is to avoid the occasion of idolatry? If Allah is the being for whom you live your life, why would you sacrifice your life for a prophet unless you esteemed that person on a similar or same par as worship? You do not need an image (gk: idol) to idolize.
F Muhammad!!! A prophet who encourages the violence Muslims practice? No thanks. Same for Jesus too, and the Christian wrong!!!
Disestablishmentarianism.
It''s the only hope.
Posted by Displeased at 10:28 AM : Feb 17, 2008
They are acting based on their programming. That''s how dogma works.....
You have my permission to display the "Buddy Christ" or make Star of David whizz targets for the toilet or draw a comic strip with the Buddha on an exercise bike to lose weight. Be creative, have fun with it!
Death to that (and all) POS cults.
Retaliate against me? 158g. JHP for ya.
And Islam is no better or worse than the rest - they all turn nasty as soon as anyone dares to criticise them. The violence of the reaction you get from the superstitious only indicates to me how paper thin their faith is - they know there''s a problem with it, they just can''t bring themselves to think clearly enough to face it. Or they have been educated not to think, which seems to be sadly the case for many Moslems and fundamentalist Christians.
Posted by MagicMerlin8 at 05:34 PM : Feb 16, 2008
Wenn Sie nicht in Ddnemark wohnen mvgen dann, verlassen Sie.
Posted by CBS_Oliver at 11:41 AM : Feb 16, 2008
Why would they do that?
Posted by AJMarine1 at 11:45 AM : Feb 16, 2008
It makes me sad to say it, but the answer is ....
Because that''s what Christians do.
They would all come a kick your azz, but they are a bit occupied at this time. Mostly helping the US and A with Operation Peace Echo and getting free R&D money for western tech companies.
Posted by MagicMerlin8 at 05:34 PM : Feb 16, 2008
Wenn Sie nicht in Ddnemark wohnen mvgen dann, verlassen Sie ....!
Nope, just to hate and murder those that disagree with your "religious" views. By all means though, stop that burning and turn to killing anyone that disagrees!
A CARTOON made them angry. They want to KILL the cartoonist and the publisher as penance for the CARTOON. This is supposed to make us agree with their arguments and believe that Islam is a GOOD religion to follow.
Um, let''s see...cartoon=death. No thanks. I pass. Now...where did I put my cartoons from last Sunday''s paper.....
Islam is a horrific religion that breeds intolerance, hatred, ignorance, and incites violence and murders. It is not a religion. It is a cult.
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See all 64 Comments