Finally some courage from our friends in Europe.
Muhammad cartoon row intensifies
Newspapers across Europe have reprinted caricatures of the Prophet
Muhammad to show support for a Danish paper whose cartoons have
sparked Muslim outrage.
Seven publications in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and
Spain all carried some of the drawings.
Their publication in Denmark led Arab nations to protest. Islamic
tradition bans depictions of the Prophet.
The owner of one of the papers to reprint - France Soir - has now
sacked its managing editor over the matter.
The cartoons have sparked diplomatic sanctions and death threats in
some Arab nations, while media watchdogs have defended publication of
the images in the name of press freedom.
Reporters Without Borders said the reaction in the Arab world "betrays
a lack of understanding" of press freedom as "an essential
accomplishment of democracy."
'Spiting Muslims'
France Soir and Germany's Die Welt were among the leading papers to
reprint the cartoons, which first appeared in Denmark last September.
The caricatures include drawings of Muhammad wearing a headdress
shaped like a bomb, while another shows him saying that paradise was
running short of virgins for suicide bombers.
France Soir originally said it had published the images in full to
show "religious dogma" had no place in a secular society.
But late on Wednesday its owner, Raymond Lakah, said he had removed
managing editor Jacques Lefranc "as a powerful sign of respect for the
intimate beliefs and convictions of every individual".
Mr Lakah said: "We express our regrets to the Muslim community and all
people who were shocked by the publication."
The president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), Dalil
Boubakeur, had described France Soir's publication as an act of "real
provocation towards the millions of Muslims living in France".
Other papers stood by their publication. In Berlin, Die Welt argued
there was a right to blaspheme in the West, and asked whether Islam
was capable of coping with satire.
"The protests from Muslims would be taken more seriously if they were
less hypocritical," it wrote in an editorial.
La Stampa in Italy, El Periodico in Spain and Dutch paper Volkskrant
also carried some of the drawings.
European Muslims spoke out against the pictures.
In Germany, the vice-chairman of the central council of Muslims said
Muslims would be deeply offended.
"It was done not to defend freedom of the press, but to spite the
Muslims," Mohammad Aman Hobohm said.
Correspondents say the European papers' actions have widened a dispute
which has grown very serious for Denmark.
The publication last September in Jyllands-Posten has provoked
diplomatic sanctions and threats from Islamic militants across the
Muslim world.
Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller has postponed a trip to Africa
because of the dispute.
Thousands of Palestinians protested against Denmark this week, and
Arab ministers called on it to punish Jyllands-Posten.
Syria and Saudi Arabia have recalled their ambassadors to Denmark,
while Libya said it was closing its embassy in Copenhagen and Iraq
summoned the Danish envoy to condemn the cartoons.
The Danish-Swedish dairy giant Arla Foods says its sales in the Middle
East have plummeted to zero as a result of the row, which sparked a
boycott of Danish products across the region.
The offices of Jyllands-Posten had to be evacuated on Tuesday because
of a bomb threat.
The paper had apologised a day earlier for causing offence to Muslims,
although it maintained it was legal under Danish law to print them.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the paper's
apology, but defended the freedom of the press.
Newspapers across Europe have reprinted caricatures of the Prophet
Muhammad to show support for a Danish paper whose cartoons have
sparked Muslim outrage.
Seven publications in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and
Spain all carried some of the drawings.
Their publication in Denmark led Arab nations to protest. Islamic
tradition bans depictions of the Prophet.
The owner of one of the papers to reprint - France Soir - has now
sacked its managing editor over the matter.
The cartoons have sparked diplomatic sanctions and death threats in
some Arab nations, while media watchdogs have defended publication of
the images in the name of press freedom.
Reporters Without Borders said the reaction in the Arab world "betrays
a lack of understanding" of press freedom as "an essential
accomplishment of democracy."
'Spiting Muslims'
France Soir and Germany's Die Welt were among the leading papers to
reprint the cartoons, which first appeared in Denmark last September.
The caricatures include drawings of Muhammad wearing a headdress
shaped like a bomb, while another shows him saying that paradise was
running short of virgins for suicide bombers.
France Soir originally said it had published the images in full to
show "religious dogma" had no place in a secular society.
But late on Wednesday its owner, Raymond Lakah, said he had removed
managing editor Jacques Lefranc "as a powerful sign of respect for the
intimate beliefs and convictions of every individual".
Mr Lakah said: "We express our regrets to the Muslim community and all
people who were shocked by the publication."
The president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), Dalil
Boubakeur, had described France Soir's publication as an act of "real
provocation towards the millions of Muslims living in France".
Other papers stood by their publication. In Berlin, Die Welt argued
there was a right to blaspheme in the West, and asked whether Islam
was capable of coping with satire.
"The protests from Muslims would be taken more seriously if they were
less hypocritical," it wrote in an editorial.
La Stampa in Italy, El Periodico in Spain and Dutch paper Volkskrant
also carried some of the drawings.
European Muslims spoke out against the pictures.
In Germany, the vice-chairman of the central council of Muslims said
Muslims would be deeply offended.
"It was done not to defend freedom of the press, but to spite the
Muslims," Mohammad Aman Hobohm said.
Sanctions
Correspondents say the European papers' actions have widened a dispute
which has grown very serious for Denmark.
The publication last September in Jyllands-Posten has provoked
diplomatic sanctions and threats from Islamic militants across the
Muslim world.
Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller has postponed a trip to Africa
because of the dispute.
Thousands of Palestinians protested against Denmark this week, and
Arab ministers called on it to punish Jyllands-Posten.
Syria and Saudi Arabia have recalled their ambassadors to Denmark,
while Libya said it was closing its embassy in Copenhagen and Iraq
summoned the Danish envoy to condemn the cartoons.
The Danish-Swedish dairy giant Arla Foods says its sales in the Middle
East have plummeted to zero as a result of the row, which sparked a
boycott of Danish products across the region.
The offices of Jyllands-Posten had to be evacuated on Tuesday because
of a bomb threat.
The paper had apologised a day earlier for causing offence to Muslims,
although it maintained it was legal under Danish law to print them.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the paper's
apology, but defended the freedom of the press.