Posted 03 February 2006 @ 10:28
Updated 03 February 2006 @ 11:11
ISLAMABAD (PAKISTAN), 03 February 2006 - Asian Muslims angered by cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed called new protests after prayers on Friday as dozens of protesters stormed a block housing the Danish embassy in the Indonesian capital. Afghanistan's president and the governments of Pakistan and Indonesia have all condemned the publication of the drawings in Denmark and then in other European newspapers.
The controversial cartoons have enraged the Arab and Muslim world, which considers them blasphemous because Islamic tradition bans depictions of the Prophet and Allah.
In Jakarta, around 100 demonstrators screamed "We're ready for jihad!" on Friday as they forced their way into the building where the Danish mission is located. Several pelted the embassy's external coat of arms with eggs. The demonstrators were quickly ejected by police and their own leaders.
Maksuni, the leader of the protesters, said the Danish ambassador met with representatives of the group and promised to issue an apology. "If they don't apologize as they promised we will kick them out of the country, and we will ask the government to withdraw its ambassador from Denmark," he added. Islamic parties urged a second day of protests in Pakistan, where students in the cities of Lahore and Multan Thursday chanted "Death to Denmark!", burned effigies of the country's premier and torched French and Danish flags.
"We have given a call for nationwide protests after Friday prayers to condemn the publication of the cartoons," said Shahid Shamsi, spokesman for Pakistan's main alliance of Islamic parties, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA). Protests were also expected in Afghanistan, where President Hamid Karzai late Thursday branded the cartoons an insult to more than one billion Muslims across the world.
Karzai also welcomed the sacking Wednesday of an editor of French newspaper France Soir for reproducing the images first published in Danish daily Jyllands-Posten last year. Coverage of the cartoons controversy has been low key in Malaysia, with reports confined to the foreign pages and little home-grown commentary or editorials.
The Islamic party (PAS) said it would present a protest letter to the Danish embassy in Kuala Lumpur after Friday prayers but that in view of recent apologies from Danish leaders the matter was now closed. "This issue is very sensitive for Muslims and I hope the protests should be held in a peaceful condition," PAS youth chief Salahuddin Ayub said when asked to comment on armed demonstrations by Palestinian militants.
The images where it's all about
The 12 images where these protests are all about, can be found on the forum:
Asian muslims vow new cartoon protests as anger spreads
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