[Mb-civic] CBC News - IRAN, POPE CALL FOR END TO CARTOON VIOLENCE

Mon Feb 20 17:27:56 PST 2006

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IRAN, POPE CALL FOR END TO CARTOON VIOLENCE
WebPosted Mon Feb 20 09:48:34 2006

---A top Iranian government official and the Pope have called for an end
to violent protests against cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, as
Danish leaders condemned a $1-million bounty on the cartoonists.

                            INDEPTH: Muhammad
                           cartoons: timeline

Iran does not support violence, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
said Monday.

"We should try to cool down the situation," Mottaki said at a news
conference in Brussels.

In the past three weeks, at least 45 people have died worldwide in
violent protests against the Danish cartoons, reaction resulting from the
fact some Muslims reject any depiction of the Prophet as blasphemous.

The Pope, also calling for calm, said religions must be respected but
that violent responses to perceived offences are wrong.

"Intolerance and violence can never be justified as a response to any
offence, because it is a response that is incompatible with the sacred
principles of religion," said Pope Benedict XVI.

 Denmark condemns bounty

Denmark, meanwhile, has condemned the reward offer by a Pakistani cleric
for the death of any of the 12 Danish cartoonists.

"It's murder and murder is also forbidden by the Qur'an," said Foreign
Minister Per Stig Moeller.

"Islam is also a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness. That is why it
is my opinion, but also the opinion of many Muslims, this is un-Islamic."

Maulana Yousef Qureshi compared his reward offered on Friday to the $25-
million bounty that the United States has placed on al-Qaeda's leader,
Osama bin Laden. Qureshi offered $8,400 US, while two people in his
congregation added $1 million US, plus a car.

All 12 cartoonists have been under police protection for a month.

Demonstrations continued in Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday after a
weekend of deadly riots in Nigeria and Libya.

 FROM FEB. 19, 2006: Indonesian Muslims attack U.S. Embassy

Hundreds of Afghan students shouted remarks like "Death to Denmark"
and "Death to America" at a largely peaceful demonstration in
Jalalabad, while Pakistani Muslim leaders vowed to widen their anti-
cartoon campaign.

Pakistani leaders have planned a countrywide protest for Friday and a
nationwide general strike for March 3, which could coincide with a visit
by U.S. President George W. Bush.