Muslims Protesting the Publication of Prophet Drawings Set Fire to Danish Embassy in Beirut

AP ^ | 02/05/06 | Zeina Karam

[JustaCowgirl]

02-05-2006 6:11 AM
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Muslims protesting caricatures of Islam's prophet set fire Sunday to a building housing the Danish Embassy in Lebanon as security forces fired tear gas in an attempt to stop the protesters.

Protestors wave black and green Islamic flags in front of the burning building housing the Danish mission during a protest against publication of caricatures of Islam's revered prophet in European newspapers, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006. Demonstrators protesting caricatures of Islam's prophet set fire Sunday to a building housing the Danish mission in Beirut. Security forces shot tear gas into the crowd and fired their weapons in the air in a desperate attempt to stop the onslaught. Casualties, fires and damage of public property were reported in the violence, which came a day after protesters in neighboring Syria torched the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus. (AP Photo)

Thousands of protesters took part in the protest but only a small group of Islamic extremists tried to break the security barrier, prompting troops to fire tear gas and water cannons to disperse them, said the official.

Troops also fired bullets into the air and over the protesters' heads. Demonstrators attacked policemen with stones and set fire to several fire engines, witnesses said. Black smoke was seen billowing from the area. They also burned Danish flags.

The violence in Lebanon came a day after thousands of protesters in neighboring Syria set fire to the Danish and Norwegian embassies in the most violent of furious demonstrations by Muslims in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Twelve caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad first published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten in September and reprinted in European media in the past week. One depicted the prophet wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse. The paper said it had asked cartoonists to draw the pictures because the media was practicing self-censorship when it came to Muslim issues.

The drawings have touched a raw nerve in part because Islamic law is interpreted to forbid any depictions of the Prophet Muhammad.

Lebanese Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Kabbani denounced the violence, saying there were infiltrators among the protesters trying to "harm the stability of Lebanon." Speaking on Future TV, he appealed for calm and said there were some who were trying to exploit the protests to cause trouble and "distort the image of Islam."

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Saniora also urged calm.

"Those who are committing these acts have nothing to do with Islam or with Lebanon," said Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. "This is absolutely not the way we express our opinions."

Saniora suggested some in Lebanon may have been inspired by what happened in Syria. "It is as if (the Syrian protests) were a lesson to some in Lebanon to do the same," he told Future TV.

The trouble in Lebanon threatened to take a sectarian spin as protesters stoned the nearby St. Maroun Church, one of the city's main Maronite Catholic churches, and private property in Ashrafieh, a Christian area near Beirut's commercial district. Muslim clerics were seen trying to stop the protesters.

The demonstrators also attacked policemen with stones and set fire to several fire engines, witnesses said. Black smoke was seen billowing from the area. They also burned Danish flags.

Justice Minister Charles Rizk, speaking on LBC television, called on those who hold influence with the protesters to help end the upheaval.

"What is the guilt of the citizens of Ashrafieh of caricatures that were published in Denmark? This sabotage should stop," said Rizk, a Christian.

Any tension with sectarian flavor is a sensitive issue in Lebanon, where Muslims and Christian fought a 15-year civil war that ended in 1990.

[prairiebreeze]

Maybe the muzzie clerics are realizing that once the genie is out of the bottle it can become a fire breathing dragon.

They can nothing for the church, I'm certain. They are unwilling (at this point it seems) to escalate it to that level.

[CobaltBlue]

So far this week I have *Hic* purchased a bottle of Fris vodka, a bottle of Denaka vodka *Hic*, and a bottle of Aalbord aquavit as a *Hic* show of solidarity with the Danish people! *Hic*

Joking but serious.

[JustaCowgirl]

I'm sure the Danish people thank you for the dedication to the cause!

I'm surprised you can still type straight, LOL!

[jveritas]

I think (hope) this will wake up Europe to the great danger of Islamic fascism that threatens our civilization.

[jveritas]

Agreed 100%. I grew up in Lebanon during the 15 years of its civil war, and as a Christian I will tell you that this exactly what is all about.

[Dazedcat]

"Wouldn't it be nice if the Western world would finally wake up and see the light?"

Yes it would, and I do think that's starting to happen here as well as overseas. I hope it's not too late though.

When you've got nearly a billion people acting like lunatics 24/7, 365 days a year....you WOULD hope the world would take notice.

Hope springs eternal.