British Muslims protest over Muhammad cartoons

British Muslims have been staging a protest in London today over the publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper.

Protestors gathered at Regent's Park mosque in central London before marching to the Danish embassy in Sloane Street to express their anger at the publication of the cartoons, which have led to widespread protests in the Middle East.

Last night, a protest was held outside BBC's Broadcasting House, after glimpses of the cartoons were shown on television.

The row erupted when a Danish newspaper published the cartoons, which showed caricatures of the prophet Muhammad, including one, which showed the prophet wearing a turban-shaped bomb on his head. The cartoons led to protests in several Middle East countries and a boycott of Danish products.

The editor of the Danish paper has apologised for printing the cartoons. However, several newspapers in other European countries, including Spain, France and Italy, reprinted the cartoons on the grounds of freedom of speech.

The cartoons have not been published in any British newspapers, although they have been glimpsed in coverage of the story by television networks such as Channel 4 and the BBC.

Inayat Bunglawala, from the Muslim Council of Britain, said that they regarded the cartoons as "gratuitous". He said: "Of course, no one disputes the freedom of speech in Europe. Newspapers have the right to publish offensive cartoons. It is a question of exercising good judgement."

Mr Bunglawala said that extremists could exploit the publication of the cartoons. He said: "There is already a lot of tension between the Muslim world and Europe due to the war in Iraq and the current threat against Iran. It all comes at a very difficult time."

(KMcA)