Annan urges Muslims to accept apology by Danish paper, refrain from violence

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Sunday repeated his call for Muslims to accept the apology made by a Danish newspaper for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, and refrain from violent reactions.

"The secretary-general is alarmed by the threats and violence, including the attacks on embassies, that have occurred in Syria and Lebanon and other countries over the past few days," his spokesman said in a statement.

Large-scale demonstrations took place in Damascus on Saturday and protestors set the Danish and Norwegian embassies on fire. A day later, a similar scenario was witnessed in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, where the Danish embassy was ransacked and set ablaze.

The statement said Annan "shares the distress felt by many Muslims at the publication of caricatures which they see as insulting to their religion."

But in the meantime, it said, "he wishes to emphasize that such resentment cannot justify violence, least of all when directed at people who have no responsibility for, or control over, the publications in question."

Twelve cartoons of Mohammed, one of them portraying the Islamic religion's founder wearing a bomb-shaped turban, were first published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten daily last September. Some were later reprinted in Norway, the Netherlands, France and other European countries.

The cartoons have sparked waves of protests across the Islamic world. Islam considers any image of the prophet blasphemous.

The Danish paper's editor initially refused to apologize for publishing the caricatures, insisting on the right to freedom of expression, but finally issued an apology late Monday for offending Muslims.

In Sunday's statement, Annan again urged Muslims "to accept the apology given by the Danish newspaper, to act in the true spirit of a religion famed for its values of mercy and compassion, and to put this episode behind them."

The UN chief also appealed to all parties, particularly all governments and authorities, whether religious or secular, to do everything they can to reduce tension and to avoid actions or statements which might increase it.

"He believes that now, more than ever, it is time for people of good will in all faiths and communities to come together in a spirit of dialogue and mutual respect," the statement added.

Source: Xinhua