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TENS OF THOUSANDS of French expatriates in Muslim countries face a nervous weekend amid fears they could be swept up in a rising tide of anger over controversial depictions of Mohammed.
Protests that have left over 30 people dead in the last week have, until now, largely been targeted at the United States, which has had to carry the can for the California-produced “Innocence of Muslims” film.
But French ministers fear the focus could shift to Paris’s overseas outposts following a satirical weekly’s publication of cartoons featuring obscene images of the founder of Islam.
Embassies, consulates, cultural centres and international French schools in around 20 Muslim countries will be closed on foreign ministry orders Friday for fear of retaliatory violence following weekly prayers.
In Tunisia, French schools were shut down from Wednesday until next Monday after the ruling Islamists branded the cartoons a “new attack” on their religion.
The shutdown also came into force early in Egypt, where schools were to close for the weekend from Thursday.
The moves reflect concern about the volatility of countries still reeling from the aftermath of last year’s Arab Spring which has been exacerbated by last week’s attack on a US consulate in Libya that left the ambassador, Chris Stevens, and three other officials dead.
The issue in France
At home meanwhile, France’s Socialist government faced a dilemma over how to manage the anger of the country’s own four million Muslims in the wake of weekly Charlie Hebdo’s publication of the cartoons.
Thousands of extra copies were due to hit newsstands today after the weekly’s usual print run of 75,000 copies sold out in hours.
Ministers have criticised the timing of Charlie Hebdo’s publication of the cartoons but made it clear they support the magazine’s right to express its opinions however it sees fit and no matter how much offence it causes.
Critics have pointed out that the same freedom of expression does not seem to be extended to French Muslims who want to give vent to their anger over the cartoons.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls banned all protests over the “Innocence of Muslims” following a violent demonstration last weekend near the US embassy in Paris and has made it clear he will not sanction any mass protests over the cartoons either.
Muslims attending prayers at mosques in France on Friday will hear an appeal for calm but community leaders have also pressed the government to do more to restrict the ability of media to publish “insulting” material, arguing that incitement to religious hatred should be put on a par with race hate crimes.
The government has been forced to deploy riot police to protect Charlie Hebdo’s offices, which were fire-bombed last year following the publication of an edition “guest-edited” by Mohammed that they dubbed “Sharia Hebdo”.
The left-wing, libertarian weekly’s editor, Stephane Charbonnier, has also been assigned police body guards, but he is unrepetent about the furore he has caused and has dismissed suggestions his timing could have been better.
“The world context will never be favourable to having a laugh at the expense of radical Islam or religion in general,” he said.
“If we take account of context we will not be able to talk about anything any more, the satirical press is doomed. We’re screwed.”
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torn on this. fair play for standing up and taking the piss out of religion and in this case Islam, but how many more deaths will be caused by this. only religion i can think of that would have violent protest and death. by all means protest,it is your right but leave the killings out. we all have a right to free speech, or draw a cartoon…ha ha just thought about how retarded all this stuff is. as a child you think of the wars and conflicts and imagine once your generation grew up that there would be peace. we are all flawed
So it’s OK to insult the beliefs of over a billion people for the sake of protecting free speech.
It’s not OK to insult Jews by denying the Holocaust?
Double standards.
That wasn’t meant to be a reply to Diarmuid Donoghues comment.
Mick,belief and fact two different things altogether.
6 million jews died.
Mohomed heard voices said it was God lots believed him doesn’t make it true does it?
@ Mick – denying the holocaust is offensive because it’s denying acknowledgment of something that definitely did happen.
Printing a satirical picture of the prophet of a sky fairy whose existence has yet to proven is not offensive. People can believe what they like, once it doesn’t curtail our freedoms and certainly if I doesn’t result in meaningless deaths.
“how many more deaths will be caused by this”
None – if there are deaths they will be caused by violent Muslims
..”.decapitate all those who insult the prophet (pbuh)”…all you deadheads who reacted to this “questionable” placard…check out BBC World News America/Canada…on our site ….re the wall street protests …photo of a protester bearing a poster stating….”Eat The Rich”…..awaiting comment on the cannibals of Wall Street…..
Richard, there is a big difference between taking the word of Allah so literally and taking a popular culture reference that you are obviously not familiar with.
If you want to regard “Eat the rich” as a literal command you might want to broaden your accusations of cannibalism to Aerosmith, Motorhead, Peter Richardson, New Line Cinema, P.J. O’Rourke and many others.
Wow, 75 thousand copies in a few hours… there is obviously a market for this religion bashing
All those religious nuts need something to burn!
wouldn’t mind a look all the same.
Three Arab women were comparing photos of their sons .. The first shows her photo “Here is Mohammed age 20 martyred” , one turns to the other
.. “They blow up so fast”
Another day, another bloody Irate Muslim.
Anyone else bloody sick of them up in arms about something?
Its bloody stupid!
They should kop themselves on and get on with their lives instead of fretting all the time about a man long dead!
Yes. To think innocent French or US children can’t go to school in these countries, nor Ambassadors etc to work, especially after PRAYERS Friday??
I understand people say the cartoonist is just looking for a quick buck, but we MUST have freedom of speech. There MUST be a line of civilization worldwide. It is not acceptable in 2012 to have retaliation of death, or ‘Religious’ leaders inciting it. No God would approve, rather, this type of hate and violence belongs in the opposite realm.
Frank religious comments and views may be opined without barbaric retribution.
…Could there not be a reason behind aggravating these people!?
If the Muslim God 1. existed and 2. actually gave a damn I’m sure he could deal with the cartoons himself. If only religious people spent half the amount of time they spend getting upset about what others think of their sky fairy on helping their fellow man the world would be a much better place.
Why should circa 5 billion people be held hostage by the pathethic sensitivities of this alleged minority?
I support their right to believe what they believe but to physically force it on the free world makes me sick.
The cartoons won’t kill anyone…
Cartoons don’t kill people, people kill people
I thought rappers killed people?
http://www.muzu.tv/goldielookinchain/guns-dont-kill-people-rappers-do-music-video/220799/
I wonder will the Irish media stick to the safe option of selective mocking as Catholicism is the only religion that can be abused safely. This distinguishes it amongst the faiths.
Practically every religion other than Islam can be mocked without fear of violence. Have a look at this cartoon (NSFW) recently published in The Onion – lewd and insulting to the deities/ religious figures of all the major religions – except Islam: http://www.theonion.com/articles/no-one-murdered-because-of-this-image,29553/
No it’s not Tom, all religions other than Islam can be safely mocked. But even if what you said was true, do you not think after all the catholic church has done, that it might have earned a bit of abuse itself?
The cartoons are the side issue. The real issue is that there is a very violent, vocal and backward minority of Muslims who think nothing of murdering people because of cartoons, or because they disagree with something someone says or does.
Printing cartoons may not address this, but neither does not printing cartoons and tip toeing around it.
These are the minority. Let us not forget there are many gentle Muslims of great humanity, who live exemplary lives of peace and love with good deeds, prayer, fasting and abstinence. It would be unfair tarnish ALL Muslims because of extremists.
…right..so in that certain knowledge ….ask yourself why it was /is being done?
“were screwed” The people who die in resulting protests are being royally screwed by this guys attempt at a quick buck
Satire is their business – they’re supposed to be trying to make money.
Last I checked, most religions are founded on the idea of peace. It’s time people stopped deflecting from the real issue here.
@tomyiona…ahaha…..you just walzed into a brickwall….that’s Irish logic is it…..or may be forgive me it is the opinion of the golden labrador…..yes culture ….what would your average Pakistani tribesman make of “Eat the Rich”!?
If the world press had stood with the Danish paper when those cartoons were published, we would have asserted our freedom of speech against intimidation. If more publications and videos don’t join the right to free speech we could lose it altogether.
Is there any Irish publication brave enough to step up?
Perhaps if more had stood up in 1988 with Salaman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses was published. There is a need to be aware of respect for other faiths but within norms for each society. Freedom of expression is somewhat of an alien concept in modern Arabic society particularly when it relates to Islam but when resident in another non sharia/Koranic nation, then non violent protest should be acceptable. However it does appear that identity politics is now part of western Islam. Complex.
@…silent bob 2012 ….no one would have ever heard of Rushdie had he not offended Islam….tremendous publicity for his questionable work…death threat! …well “you cant have yer cake and eat it”
Que-bono????
The blow out will add to the pretext under which the upcoming invasion of Iran will be based.
Ah, and no, no tinfoil hat. Just based on history.
Give it a rest Mr. Bourne. What strategic advantages could possibly result from the Stars and Stripes flying over Teheran? Don’t throw in the Straits of Hormuz or support of an Israeli pre-emptive strike…
Read your history silentbob. Was not an American-backed regime in power for many years in Iran, prior to the Islamic revolution.
Silentbob.
You have given two big reasons.
Im on a smart phone at the moment and havent the patience to write them all out.
You’d be much quicker actually researching it yourself instead of just replying to me.
Let’s face it, Jason is probably right. Iran is top of the invasion list if there is such a thing. They won’t bother North Korea just yet because they already have a nuclear bomb and that would be considered too risky. I don’t buy the conspiracy that it is all for oil though…I think it has more to do with stimulating western economies.
@King Olaf, its also to do with control of economics and banking. For example, Iran is considered dangerous due to it being free from debt or being under the control of the IMF or other “world” bank. This is also why they are now experiencing possibly the strongest sanctions against a country ever applied to hurt their financial system and economy. “conditions” of loans, opening up of national assets to “foreign markets” and resources come hand in hand when dealing with such banks and Iran is having nothing to do with them.
The war against Iran began the day they targeted their nuclear program and immediately drew negative attention to it and started dropping the “bomb” word, followed by sanctions to weaken them. This war is well under way.
@dexter, king and Derek- Those are more of the reasons I was referring to.
Iran is the last Muslim oil and gas rich country left, with a nice bit of access to the Caspian Sea basin. (So called war on terror) Whoever gets control of this, will have China and Russia over a barrell, literally.
Iran had threatened to trade in Euros like Sadam and Gadafi did.
Dexter & Jason…trifle condescending this morning are we? A pro-west Shah, proximity to the Soviet Union, bases, listening posts, oil and influence were primary reasons prior to the ’79 revolution. Incidentally the Ayatollah enjoyed many years of safety in France before returning…somewhat ironic now. Anyway, doubt there will be US footfalls on Iranian territory but rather seeding greater freedoms within an Islamic framework. Lets see what happens between the “Great Satan” and Teheran.
….check..” Stanley Incorporated” Arlington…it could be possible……
This smug git should be locked up. He’s just looking for the quick buck and to hell with the consequences for others.
Locked up for what?
Stupidity.
I’m setting up a stall selling french and danish cartoons outside the mosque on the south circular road. Bet I make a killing
…@mr Doyle “Ladbrokes” could open a book on how long you would last
better be a holy book
A healthy disrespect for all religions is called for. We can insult politicians, governments and business people for their daft irrational beliefs but dare not say boo to anyone’s religious beliefs. I dare say Nero, Genghis Khan, Attila, Hitler and Stalin had very firm beliefs but I for one would not have respected them. The ultimate aim of all religions is world domination. Some of them have managed to create theocracies…….Ireland, Israel, Iran………. The only safeguard against this type of nonsense is a secular state which guarantees freedom for all religions and freedom FROM religion.
Does the journal have the cojones to do the same???
From Wikipedia:
In 2004, a total of 140,033 people immigrated to France. Of them, 90,250 were from Africa and 13,710 from Europe.[198]?In 2008, France granted citizenship to 137,000 persons, mostly to people from Morocco, Algeria and Turkey.[199]
Now in France there are about 7 millions of Muslims I think.
Much bigger influx from Africa than from Europe, how come?
Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia were colonies under French rule previously. French North Africa. One, Algeria was French Algeirs and part of the French state, Morocco and Tunisia were protectorates. Immigration from these colonies, as well as East African and some others were facilitated by french law. These were a mix of a) ethnic and b) national French, former colonies.
Same reason why most Muslims in the UK are Pakistani. It was a colony.
Generalize much?
…@tomylona….get it…or does the English in this…. defeat you more…? This man at fault fer refering to “the filem” when this site is now onto “the French cartoons” …well, tis known the Froggies being in cahoots with the US of A…
France just letting it be known to the world they are aligned to the coming invasion or at least bombing of Iran…simple as that …educated!?…doubt it still it be all in this man’s humble opnion …so..give of your best young man..
….This film has been around several months apparently..some one decided to broadcast it’s presence around September 10-11-12 any significance here!? …..you want to destroy another country….the last two or three times you did it you were accused of war crimes…..hmmmm what to do….how about …creating…mayhem and carnage round the world pulling the anti war faction back into your camp….the argument being “take a look at those heathen savages , what if they develop a nuclear weapon” ….better we bomb the living daylights out of them before they bomb us……make any sense….nothing new just “divide and rule”…. The uneducated muslim is being set up along with the uneducated joe and josephine in the street ….IMHO of course!
have your say