Region | Palestinian Territories
Danish ambassadors leave Iran and Indonesia
Denmark's ambassadors to Iran and Indonesia have left those countries due to threats against them over the publication of cartoons, the Danish foreign ministry said on Saturday.
- Compiled from agencies
- Published: 00:00 February 12, 2006
Tehran: Denmark's ambassadors to Iran and Indonesia have left those countries due to threats against them over the publication of cartoons, the Danish foreign ministry said on Saturday.
The ambassador in Tehran and his staff left after being informed of "concrete and serious threats against the ambassador", the ministry said in a communique.
In Jakarta, the ambassador and his aides left after receiving "credible and concrete threats against the security of embassy personnel".
The Danish foreign ministry had said on Friday that Copenhagen's ambassador to Damascus had temporarily left Syria with his colleagues because their official protection had been reduced to an "unacceptably low level".
The Jeddah Economic Forum opened yesterday with an appeal by former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder for Europeans to show more sensitivity to the beliefs of Muslims.
"European integration is built upon the foundation of respect of other cultures, tolerance and the recognition of diversity," Schroeder told the seventh annual edition of the forum, whose theme is: "Honouring Identity and Celebrating common grounds."
Saudi Arabia's top cleric called on the world's Muslims to reject apologies for the 'slanderous' caricatures and demanded instead that the authors and publishers of the cartoons be tried and punished, Saudi newspapers reported.
Speaking to hundreds of faithful at his Friday sermon, Shaikh Abdul Rahman Al Seedes, the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, called on the international community to enact laws that condemn insults against the Prophet and holy sites.
"Where is the world with all its agencies and organisations? Is there only freedom of expression when it involves insults to Muslims? With one voice ... we will reject the apology and demand a trial," Al Seedes said.
Also, Bangladesh's biggest Islamic political party called for exemplary punishment of those involved in printing the images.
"Enemies of Islam are out to harm the faithful through a sinister campaign of so-called freedom of speech," Moulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, told an estimated 50,000-strong rally in Dhaka.
"They should be taken to task and punished vigorously," he said about the cartoons.
Pakistan's ruling party and hardline Islamic groups yesterday issued a joint call to hold a nationwide strike on March 3 to condemn the publication of the cartoons.
The leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League party and a six-party coalition of religious groups also urged people to boycott the products of those countries where the cartoons have been printed.
Iran wants to call an emergency meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to discuss the global controversy, Malaysia said on Saturday.
"The Iranian foreign minister has requested that we hold a special meeting among the foreign ministers from the OIC countries to discuss the situation," said Foreign Minister Syed Hamid.
Several thousand Muslims marched through Paris on Saturday to protest against French newspapers that published cartoons.
About 2,500 Muslims marched peacefully through the German city of Duesseldorf, and in Berlin about 1,200 gathered outside the Danish embassy.
In the Swiss capital, Berne, about 1,000 people held a peaceful protest outside the parliament building.
Protests were also held in Palestine, Ankara, Indonesia and the Indian city of Lucknow.
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