PARIS (Reuters) - A French satirical weekly reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad on Wednesday and published one of its own on its front page, further angering Muslim groups which say the caricatures are blasphemous.
French Muslim organizations tried to prevent Charlie Hebdo reprinting the 12 cartoons, which were first published by the Danish paper Jyllands-Posten, but a court rejected their suit on Tuesday on a technicality.
President Jacques Chirac condemned "overt provocations" which could enflame passions, but did not name Charlie Hebdo in his latest appeal for restraint in a dispute that has triggered violent protests across the Muslim world.
Charlie Hebdo carried the new cartoon on its front page, depicting the Prophet Mohammad burying his face in his hands and saying: "It's hard to be loved by fools".
Sales of the weekly were brisk in Paris. Inside pages showed the 12 cartoons that were first printed in Denmark and included an editorial explaining the decision to reprint them.
"When extremists extract concessions from democracies on points of principle, either by blackmail or terror, democracies do not have long left," Charlie Hebdo editor Philippe Val wrote.
As well as publishing the Danish cartoons, Charlie Hebdo published other cartoons on its back page which caricatured other religions including Christianity and Judaism.
Sources at Charlie Hebdo said some staff had been placed under police protection. Two police officers guarded the weekly's offices in the center of Paris on Wednesday morning.
The parking space in front of the offices was cordoned off and police checked people entering the building, where a sign said no more copies of the weekly were left for sale.
The cartoons, reprinted by several European papers, have provoked a crisis between Europe and the Muslim world. Islam prohibits any depiction of the Prophet Mohammad.
French Muslim organizations said they would continue to try to take legal steps against Charlie Hebdo and the daily newspaper France Soir, which reprinted the controversial cartoons last week. France Soir later sacked its editor.
"We would have hoped for there to be a willingness to calm things down," said Fouad Alaoui of the Union of French Islamic organizations (UOIF).
"Charlie Hebdo wants to fan the flames. France's Muslims say 'No'. In our societies, we must not allow insults to be encouraged," Alaoui said.
France's 5-million strong Muslim community is the largest in Europe and makes up about 8 percent of the French population.
"I condemn all obvious provocations which could dangerously fuel passions," a spokesman quoted Chirac as telling a government meeting.
"Anything that can hurt the convictions of someone else, in particular religious convictions, should be avoided. Freedom of expression should be exercised in a spirit of responsibility."
Chirac urged the government to be particularly attentive to the security of French citizens abroad.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsa...UKOC_0_US-RELIGION-CARTOONS-FRANCE.xml&rpc=22
French Muslim organizations tried to prevent Charlie Hebdo reprinting the 12 cartoons, which were first published by the Danish paper Jyllands-Posten, but a court rejected their suit on Tuesday on a technicality.
President Jacques Chirac condemned "overt provocations" which could enflame passions, but did not name Charlie Hebdo in his latest appeal for restraint in a dispute that has triggered violent protests across the Muslim world.
Charlie Hebdo carried the new cartoon on its front page, depicting the Prophet Mohammad burying his face in his hands and saying: "It's hard to be loved by fools".
Sales of the weekly were brisk in Paris. Inside pages showed the 12 cartoons that were first printed in Denmark and included an editorial explaining the decision to reprint them.
"When extremists extract concessions from democracies on points of principle, either by blackmail or terror, democracies do not have long left," Charlie Hebdo editor Philippe Val wrote.
As well as publishing the Danish cartoons, Charlie Hebdo published other cartoons on its back page which caricatured other religions including Christianity and Judaism.
Sources at Charlie Hebdo said some staff had been placed under police protection. Two police officers guarded the weekly's offices in the center of Paris on Wednesday morning.
The parking space in front of the offices was cordoned off and police checked people entering the building, where a sign said no more copies of the weekly were left for sale.
The cartoons, reprinted by several European papers, have provoked a crisis between Europe and the Muslim world. Islam prohibits any depiction of the Prophet Mohammad.
French Muslim organizations said they would continue to try to take legal steps against Charlie Hebdo and the daily newspaper France Soir, which reprinted the controversial cartoons last week. France Soir later sacked its editor.
"We would have hoped for there to be a willingness to calm things down," said Fouad Alaoui of the Union of French Islamic organizations (UOIF).
"Charlie Hebdo wants to fan the flames. France's Muslims say 'No'. In our societies, we must not allow insults to be encouraged," Alaoui said.
France's 5-million strong Muslim community is the largest in Europe and makes up about 8 percent of the French population.
"I condemn all obvious provocations which could dangerously fuel passions," a spokesman quoted Chirac as telling a government meeting.
"Anything that can hurt the convictions of someone else, in particular religious convictions, should be avoided. Freedom of expression should be exercised in a spirit of responsibility."
Chirac urged the government to be particularly attentive to the security of French citizens abroad.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsa...UKOC_0_US-RELIGION-CARTOONS-FRANCE.xml&rpc=22
