2 February 2006

Controversy over the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed widened further Thursday, turning what was initially a problem for Denmark into a row of international dimensions when the leaders of two Islamic countries joined in the condemnation.

At the same time, Europe in general and France in particular became the target of increasing Muslim wrath after a French newspaper republished the 12 cartoons which had originally appeared in Denmark and later in Norway.

Germany's Die Welt, Italy's La Stampa and Spain's El Periodico also republished the caricatures as a further storm of protest was expected across the Muslim world at Friday prayers.

While Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's government was bracing for further protests and planning an offensive to try to defuse the tensions, Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak and Afghan President Hamid Karzai strongly criticized the cartoons.

In further measures aimed at defusing the situation, Rasmussen was due to repeat his position on freedom of speech and religion in an interview with al-Arabiya television Thursday evening.

Along with Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller, Rasmussen has invited foreign ambassadors, including from Muslim countries, to a meeting Friday to inform them about Copenhagen government's view.

"The Danish people have defended freedom of speech and religion for generations. We deeply respect all religions, including Islam," Rasmussen said, according to an excerpt from the 25-minute interview with al-Arabiya television cited by Danish TV2 News.

In Norway, the chief editor of a Norwegian Christian weekly that recently published the caricatures said in an interview published Thursday that he regretted the publication.

"Of course I regret that we have subjected Norwegian citizens to threats, as well as myself and my family," Magazinet chief editor Vebjorn Selbekk told Dagbladet newspaper. "On the other hand, I don't regret exercising my constitutionally protected freedom of speech.

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