Related News
Magazine's cartoons inflame tensions
Source: Agencies |
September 20, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A FRENCH magazine published vulgar caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad yesterday, inflaming global tensions over a movie insulting to Islam. In response, the French government ordered embassies and schools to close on Friday in about 20 countries.
The move by the provocative weekly Charlie Hebdo followed days of violent protests from Asia to Africa against a low-budget film produced in the United States, "Innocence of Muslims" and turned France into a potential target of Muslim rage. Up to now, American government sites have drawn the most ire.
Violence linked to the amateurish movie, which portrays the prophet as a fraud, a womanizer and child molester, has killed at least 30 people in seven countries, including the US ambassador to Libya.
Yesterday, several hundred lawyers protesting the movie forced their way into an area in Pakistan's capital that houses the US Embassy and other foreign missions.
The United States temporarily closed its consulate in an Indonesian city because of demonstrations and hundreds protested the film in Sri Lanka's capital, burning effigies of President Barack Obama.
The French government ordered embassies and schools abroad to close on Friday, the Muslim holy day, as a precautionary measure in about 20 countries, said the foreign affairs ministry. It ordered the immediate closure of the French Embassy and the French school in Tunisia, which saw deadly film-related protests at the US Embassy last Friday.
The French Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning urging French citizens in the Muslim world to exercise "the greatest vigilance," avoiding public gatherings and "sensitive buildings."
At the same time, the country - which has western Europe's largest Muslim population - plunged into a new debate over the limits of free speech in a modern democracy.
France's prime minister said freedom of expression is guaranteed, but cautioned that it "should be exercised with responsibility and respect."
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned that Charlie Hebdo could be throwing "oil on the fire," but said it's up to the courts to decide whether the magazine went too far. The magazine's crude cartoons played off the film and ridiculed the violent reaction to it. Riot police took up positions outside the offices of the magazine, which was firebombed last year after it released an edition that mocked radical Islam.
Charlie Hebdo's chief editor, who goes by the name of Charb, defended the cartoons. "I don't blame Muslims for not laughing at our drawings. I live under French law; I don't live under Quranic law."
Charb said he had no regrets and felt no responsibility for any violence.
"I'm not the one going into the streets with stones and Kalashnikovs," he said.
Government authorities and Muslim leaders urged calm.
"This is a disgraceful and hateful, useless and stupid provocation," Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Grand Paris Mosque.
"We are not Pavlov's animals to react at each insult."
The move by the provocative weekly Charlie Hebdo followed days of violent protests from Asia to Africa against a low-budget film produced in the United States, "Innocence of Muslims" and turned France into a potential target of Muslim rage. Up to now, American government sites have drawn the most ire.
Violence linked to the amateurish movie, which portrays the prophet as a fraud, a womanizer and child molester, has killed at least 30 people in seven countries, including the US ambassador to Libya.
Yesterday, several hundred lawyers protesting the movie forced their way into an area in Pakistan's capital that houses the US Embassy and other foreign missions.
The United States temporarily closed its consulate in an Indonesian city because of demonstrations and hundreds protested the film in Sri Lanka's capital, burning effigies of President Barack Obama.
The French government ordered embassies and schools abroad to close on Friday, the Muslim holy day, as a precautionary measure in about 20 countries, said the foreign affairs ministry. It ordered the immediate closure of the French Embassy and the French school in Tunisia, which saw deadly film-related protests at the US Embassy last Friday.
The French Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning urging French citizens in the Muslim world to exercise "the greatest vigilance," avoiding public gatherings and "sensitive buildings."
At the same time, the country - which has western Europe's largest Muslim population - plunged into a new debate over the limits of free speech in a modern democracy.
France's prime minister said freedom of expression is guaranteed, but cautioned that it "should be exercised with responsibility and respect."
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned that Charlie Hebdo could be throwing "oil on the fire," but said it's up to the courts to decide whether the magazine went too far. The magazine's crude cartoons played off the film and ridiculed the violent reaction to it. Riot police took up positions outside the offices of the magazine, which was firebombed last year after it released an edition that mocked radical Islam.
Charlie Hebdo's chief editor, who goes by the name of Charb, defended the cartoons. "I don't blame Muslims for not laughing at our drawings. I live under French law; I don't live under Quranic law."
Charb said he had no regrets and felt no responsibility for any violence.
"I'm not the one going into the streets with stones and Kalashnikovs," he said.
Government authorities and Muslim leaders urged calm.
"This is a disgraceful and hateful, useless and stupid provocation," Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Grand Paris Mosque.
"We are not Pavlov's animals to react at each insult."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
