THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: France is to close embassies and schools in around 20 countries on Friday due to fears of violence after a weekly satirical magazine published cartoons of a naked Prophet Mohammed.
Charlie Hebdo's decision to release the explicit cartoons sparked angry condemnation in the Muslim world, where violence over a crudely made anti-Islam film has resulted in dozens of deaths in recent days.
The French government said it would close many embassies, consulates, cultural centres and international schools on Friday due to fears they could be targeted in demonstrations after weekly Muslim prayers.
French schools in Tunisia, home to 30,000 French have already been closed until Monday as a "preventive measure", while schools and cultural centres in Egypt will close on Thursday.
Riot police on Wednesday took up positions outside the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, whose former headquarters were firebombed last November after it published an issue called Sharia Hebdo featuring Mohammed as "guest editor". The real editor has been under police protection ever since.
The magazine's website was down yesterday, with staff saying it had been hacked. A Pakistan-based group calling itself the Guardian of Honour of the Prophet, SAW claimed responsibility. » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Wednesday, September 19, 2012
My comment:
Why do we need these throwbacks in our midst? All they bring us is trouble. Furthermore, they limit our freedom of expression. I, for one, object in the strongest terms to having my freedom of expression curtailed.– © Mark
