Kamis, 20 September 2012

Caricatures of the Prophet: Arab League calls for peaceful protest

Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby condemned the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in the loading of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo.
But he said that those who feel offended by the cartoons had "use peaceful means to express disapproval firmly on the cartoon," reported Reuters.
France increased security at the embassies of the country following the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad weekly magazine, said Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
Satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published a cartoon showing a figure pushing Orthodox Jews who use turbans and wheelchairs.
Caricature figures in a wheelchair was decorated with the words, "You should not be mocking" under the title "Not Touched 2", to refer to a French film about the rich white and black assistants.
"I have issued an order that special security measures in all countries that are expected to cause problems," Fabius said on Wednesday.
Publishing caricatures merebaknnya comes amid protests against the film that is considered insulting Prophet Mohammed in northern Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.
In Tunisia, the ruling Islamist party, Ennahda, condemned the caricatures loading and calling the act of "aggression" against the Prophet. But like Nabil Elaraby, he also asked the Muslims not to get caught in the trap that aims to "destroy the spirit of the Arab awakening and turning them into conflict with the West."U.S. concerns
In settlements in northern Paris, Sarcelles, one person slightly injured after two masked men threw a low-power explosives through the window of a supermarket that sells halal food. Local police said it was too early if the incident is linked to the caricatures.
The Muslim leaders in France - which has the largest Muslim population in Europe, called for calm.
Magazine Charlie Hebdo published four caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, and two of them showed the prophet naked.
Charlie Hebdo magazine office in Paris was attacked with Molotov cocktails last November after publishing caricatures of the prophet.
In 2005, the prophet caricatures published in Denmark sparked protests in many countries and killed at least 50 people.
Meanwhile, the French foreign ministry issued an official statement on their website with a quote once said Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said "freedom of expression is one of the basic principles [French]," as secularism and respect for religious beliefs.
"And this is the reason why, in the present context, the prime minister wanted to express his opposition to the excesses of any kind," the statement said.
But White House spokesman Jay Carney expressed concern over the decision loading caricatures and compare it with the backlash caused by the amateur film Innocence of Muslims last week.
"We know that these images were highly offensive to many people and potentially trigger a riot," he said.
"... We do not question the right of publication of this sort of thing, we're just asking judgment behind the decision to publish it."