President Musharraf strongly condemns publication of blasphemous cartoons        
'Pakistan Times' Federal Bureau   
    
RAWALPINDI: President General Pervez Musharraf Friday condemned the publication of blasphemous cartoons in the strongest terms and said such acts would encourage those who speak of clash of civilizations.

In an interaction with anchor persons of local television channels at his Camp Office, the President said, “They have inflamed our sentiments and in the strongest terms I condemn it.”

The cartoons were initially published in a Danish newspaper and later in some other European dailies.

The President said he was deeply hurt by the publication of the 
cartoons and those who did it should have realized the sensitivities involved.

The President, while responding to a question, rejected publication of the blasphemous cartoons on the pretext of freedom of press.

“Any educated person who has any understanding of the situation around the world would not like to hurt the sentiments of the Muslims,” he said.

President Musharraf said even every moderate Muslim who desires peace and speaks of rapprochement with the West would condemn such acts.

Senate Condemns

The Senate on Friday strongly condemned European newspapers for publishing "blasphemous" cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

Senators made fervent speeches before passing a unanimous resolution condemning the drawings and urging the government to consider further economic and political action.

"The Senate of Pakistan condemns in the strongest terms the deliberate and concerted actions on the part of European media in general and Danish daily in particular of publishing blasphemous and derogatory cartoons against the Prophet of Islam, which has hurt the faith and feeling of Muslims all over the world," the text of the resolution said.

"The Senate further recommends that the government of Pakistan should consider other economic and political actions to prevent uncivilized behavior by the Danish daily and other European media against the Muslim faith," it said.

Sindh Assembly Denounces

And in Karachi, the Sindh Assembly Friday unanimously approved the resolution to condemn the blasphemous cartoons published in newspapers of Denmark, France and other European countries. Later, the session was adjourned till February-24.

Earlier, the assembly proceedings started after two hours of delay with acting speaker Rahila Tawana in chair.

The acting speaker gave ruling for start of question hour. MQM’s Deputy Parliamentary leader Muhammad Hussain tabled a condemnation resolution against printing of blasphemous cartoons in European newspapers.

The same resolution was separately tabled by provincial ministers Irfan Marwat, Shoaib Bukhari, Chaudhry Iftikhar, Qamar Mansoor, Dr. Saeeda Malik and MMA’s Hameedullah advocate, which was unanimously approved by the house.

The assembly will now meet on February-24.

In-depth

President of Pakistan Gen Pervez Musharraf has strongly condemned the publication of cartoons depicting the Holy Prophet Mohammed (Peace be Upon Him) and thousands of protesters torched Danish and French flags for a second day.

Senators in the upper house of the country's parliament also passed a unanimous resolution denouncing the act and made fervent speeches calling for economic and political sanctions.

Musharraf said the cartoons -- first published in a Danish newspaper in September and then in the past week by other dailies -- would add to tensions between the Muslim world and the West.

"They have inflamed our sentiments and in the strongest terms I condemn it," President Musharraf said at his office in the city of Rawalpindi near the capital.

"Any educated person who has any understanding of the situation around the world would not like to hurt the sentiments of the Muslims," he said.

Vicious, Outrageous, Provocative Campaign

Earlier the senate's motion said the "vicious, outrageous and 
provocative campaign cannot be justified in the name of freedom of expression or of the press."

Protests

Thousands of protesters held separate protests in the capital Islamabad as well in almost every city of Pakistan demanding the expulsion of the Danish ambassador from Pakistan.

In the southern city of Karachi students in thousands and supporters of diverse parties shouted "Death to Denmark, France and Norway" outside Pakistan's biggest mosque after Friday prayers.

"This is not merely a cartoon but reflects the infidels' hatred of 
Muslims and Islam," said Merajul Huda, the Karachi chief of the main Jamaat-i-Islami party.

Call for Economis Boycott

A large number of demonstrators gathered in the eastern city of Lahore and burned flags of Denmark, Norway and France and called for an economic boycott of the three countries.

"The publication of contemptuous and blasphemous cartoons of the Holy Prophet [PBUP] in a Danish newspaper is a crusade against Muslims of the world," leader Engineer Saleemullah Khan told the gathering.

Angry protesters in the central city of Multan also burned an effigy of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and vowed to step up their protests.

"We can lay down our lives for our Holy Prophet [PBUH] and we would not let anyone publish blasphemous material or ridicule Islam," Islamic leader Mufti Hidayat ullah Pasroori said.

Prayer leaders in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta condemned the publication in Friday's sermons, Abdul Sattar, a spokesman of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam party said.

Sattar said that a draft of the parliamentary resolution was circulated in nearly 70 mosques in Quetta where thousands of people approved it by raising their hands.•