Anger over images of Mohammad spreads
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-02-03 19:50

Palestinian gunmen seized and later released a German on Thursday, and a hand grenade was thrown into the compound of the French Cultural Center in the Gaza Strip.

The editor of a Norwegian magazine which reprinted the Danish cartoons said he had received 25 death threats and thousands of hate messages.

A Jordanian editor was sacked for reprinting them, despite saying his purpose had been only to show the extent of the Danish insult to Islam. "Oh I ask God to forgive me," Jihad Momani wrote in a public letter of apology.

Iraqi Christians said they feared a new wave of attacks by Muslims, driven by anger over the images.

MEDIA FREEDOM

European newspapers said the publication of the cartoons was an expression of media freedom.

"Liberation defends the freedom of expression," French daily Liberation said in a headline introducing two of the cartoons, one of which depicted an imam telling suicide bombers to stop because Heaven had run out of virgins with which to reward them.

Belgian newspaper De Standaard reproduced the pictures along with letters from readers in favor of publication.

"Two values are in conflict here. One is respect for religion and the other is freedom of speech," Editor-in-Chief Peter Vandermeersch told Reuters.

In Italy, at least two papers published the cartoons on their front pages on Friday.

Bulgarian daily Novinar also reprinted them and Spain's El Pais reprinted a drawing that had appeared in France's Le Monde newspaper portraying the head of the prophet, formed by lines which read "I must not draw Mohammad."

The Sun tabloid, Britain's biggest-selling daily, reprinted the front pages of French daily France Soir and the Danish paper but obscured images of Mohammad with red boxes marked CENSORED.

More protests were expected in the Muslim world over the cartoons. In Iran, worshippers were expected to take part in a nationwide rally after Friday prayers to protest.