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February 18, 2006

Cartoon Controversy in Africa

Topics: Understanding Islam

Algeria - A leading media watchdog has condemned the arrest of two Algerian editors who published some of the cartoons satirising the Prophet Mohammed.

Eygpt - For the government of my country, Egypt, which spearheaded much of the diplomatic furor that preceded the violence, the benefits of anger over the cartoons were obvious, as were the double standards at play. By leaping to defend the prophet, the state and its clerics flaunt their religious credentials. It was also the perfect opportunity to settle scores with the Danish government, which has funded groups in Egypt that criticize President Hosni Mubarak's dismal human rights record. An Eygptian newspaper published the cartoons in October (Eygpt Started It?)

Libya - Libyans protesting the Prophet Mohammed cartoons set fire to the Italian consulate in Benghazi on Friday in a riot that left 11 people dead or wounded, Libyan security officials said. - more here

Morocco - CPJ is alarmed by ongoing public protests against Le Journal Hebdomadaire which are apparently being orchestrated by the Moroccan government in response to the magazine's publishing of a photograph of a French newspaper showing a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad.

Mozambique - Mozambique independent weekly Savana published eight of the 12 controversail cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad on Saturday. (Muslims account for about 18% of the Mozambican population. )

Nigeria: At least 16 people have been killed in the northern part of the country, as Muslim protests over cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad turned violent. "At least 10 churches, some hotels, more than 20 shops and over 10 vehicles were burned by the protesters," one resident told Reuters news agency by telephone.

South Africa - Fear of alienating Muslims has forced all major newspaper groups in South Africa to negotiate with organisations that had called for a boycott of publications, some of which had not even intended to publish the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that have sparked worldwide outrage.

Posted by tim at February 18, 2006 4:51 PM

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