Demonstrations continue denouncesing the Danish newspaper [Archives:2006/920/Local News]
SANA'A, Feb. 12 – The Yemeni Lawyers Syndicate and Judiciary Authority judges and officials held a mass demonstration against offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) published by Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.
Hundreds of angry protesters joined the demonstration to protest against blasphemous drawings of the Prophet of Muhammad (pbuh). Demonstrators started the protest from Al-Tahrir Square, then headed to the Cabinet premises where they were welcomed by Prime Minister Dr. Abdulkader Ba Jamal.
He said Yemen's government condemns any insult to religious beliefs and Islamic holy places. Ba Jamal also met with demonstration representatives. He said, “We don't want to face hostility with hostility toward other religions,” declaring that the Yemeni government pays more attention to dialogue between civilizations and cultures among all nations.
Ba Jamal added that Yemen will do as President Saleh stated and will cooperate with the Organization of Islamic Conferences, the Arab summit and the United Nations in issuing an international decree forbidding insulting religious beliefs and Islamic holy places. He considers the offensive Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) caricatures enemy action against such holy places.
The Lawyers Syndicate and Judiciary Authority officials called on Arab and Muslim peoples to continue official government boycotting of Danish products.
According to Al-Balag newspaper, Al-Houthi's Believing Youths have stated that Jyllands-Posten's Editor-in-Chief should be murdered. An Al-Houthi Believing Youths spokesman said the statement is not true and denied it, saying the Al-Wahabi group (Islamic creed) is behind the statement.
Religious scholar and preacher Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi denounced violence and rioting over the cartoons' publication, expressing his sorrow over events occurring in some Muslim countries. “We are vehemently sorry for the situation's deterioration to the point of burning cars, public utilities and harming interests of the people and the French state,” Al-Qaradawi said in a statement to Qatar News Agency.
He called upon the Muslim community worldwide to be calm and handle the situation with wisdom and rationality He urged Muslim religious and political leaders to intensify peace efforts and condemned violent demonstrations, calling on Muslims to “express their anger in a prudent manner.”
Sheikh Al-Qaradawi, head of the International Association of Muslim Scholars and described as a 'leading hard-line Muslim cleric,' lives in Doha, Qatar.
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