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Syrians torch embassies over caricatures
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-05 06:17
The demonstrations in Damascus began peacefully with protesters gathering
outside the building housing the Danish Embassy. But they began throwing stones
and eventually broke through police barricades. Some scrambled up concrete
barriers protecting the embassy, climbed into the building and set a fire.
"With our blood and souls we defend you, O Prophet of God!" the demonstrators
chanted. Some removed the Danish flag and replaced it with a green flag printed
with the words: "There is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God."
Demonstrators moved onto the Norwegian Embassy about 4 miles away, also
setting fire to it before being dispersed by police using tear gas and water
cannons. Hundreds of police and troops barricaded the road leading to the French
Embassy, but protesters were able to break through briefly before fleeing from
the force of water cannons.
In Gaza, masked gunmen affiliated with the Fatah Party called on the
Palestinian Authority and Muslim nations to recall their diplomatic missions
from Denmark until the government apologizes.
In the West Bank town of Hebron, about 50 Palestinians marched to the
headquarters of the international observer mission there, burned a Danish flag
and demanded a boycott of Danish goods.
"We will redeem our prophet Muhammad with our blood!" they chanted.
Mahmoud Zahar, leader of the militant Palestinian group Hamas, told the
Italian daily Il Giornale the cartoonists should be punished by death.
We should have killed all those who offend the Prophet and instead here we
are, protesting peacefully." he said.
Hundreds of Iraqis rallied south of Baghdad, some carrying banners urging
"honest people all over the world to condemn this act" and demanding an EU
apology.
Anger swelled in Europe, too. Young Muslims clashed briefly with police in
Copenhagen, the Danish capital, and some 700 people rallied outside the Danish
Embassy in London.
A South African court banned the country's Sunday newspapers from reprinting
the cartoons.
Iran's president ordered his commerce minister to study canceling all trade
contracts with European countries whose newspapers have published the
caricatures, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the caricatures showed the "impudence and
rudeness" of Western newspapers against the prophet as well as the "maximum
resentment of the Zionists (Jews) ruling these countries against Islam and
Muslims."
The leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan denounced the publication of
the caricatures. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned nine envoys to lodge
protests against the publication of the "blasphemous" sketches.
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