Prophet cartoons: more protests, editor sacked

The managing editor of a French newspaper has been fired over publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that are inflaming the Musl...

The managing editor of a French newspaper has been fired over publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that are inflaming the Muslim world, where Pakistani protesters on Thursday chanted 8216;8216;Death to France!8217;8217; and Gaza gunmen demanded apologies from European governments.

The furore over the drawings, which first ran in a Danish paper Jyllands-Posten last September, cuts to the question of which is more sacred in the Western world, freedom of expression or respect for religious beliefs?

The daily France Soir and several other European papers reprinted the pictures on Wednesday, in a show of solidarity with Jyllands-Posten. France Soir owner Raymond Lakah, an Egyptian magnate, fired managing editor Jacques Lefranc after the publication.

Palestinian gunmen stormed the European Commission8217;s office in Gaza on Thursday, demanding apologies from the governments of France, Denmark, Germany and Norway after newspapers in those countries printed the caricatures. The gunmen also said they would shut down media offices of the four countries, singling out the French news agency Agence France Presse.

France8217;s Foreign Ministry renewed its warning against French travelers visiting Gaza. Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said France was in close contact with governments in the Middle East to discuss the dispute.

Afghanistan8217;s president and Indonesia8217;s Foreign Ministry condemned the cartoons, and Iran8217;s Foreign Ministry summoned the Austrian ambassador, whose country holds the EU presidency, to protest the publication.

Presidents Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran joined the criticism of the cartoons.

Story continues below this ad

8220;Muslims should display firm reaction to such disgraceful acts,8221; state television quoted Ahmadinejad as saying in a telephone conversation with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

Mubarak said freedom of the press, cited by European media and politicians, should not be an excuse for insulting religions.

Denmark8217;s Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he has invited ambassadors in Denmark to meet with him to discuss the controversy. To defuse tensions, Denmark8217;s ambassador to France, Niels Egelund, met Dalil Boubakeur, head of the French Council of the Muslim Faith. Egelund said he met Boubakeur 8216;8216;to try to stop the excesses that this has taken8217;8217;.

Morocco and Tunisia barred sales of France Soir8217;s Wednesday issue. Moroccan religious leaders have condemned the drawings and Muslim groups plan demonstrations for Friday.

Story continues below this ad

Foreign diplomats and journalists began pulling out of the Palestinian areas after masked Palestinian gunmen threatened to kidnap foreigners.