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Photo: Reuters
Fatah gunmen (archive photo)
Photo: Reuters

Gunmen threaten Europeans

Gunmen issue warning, others take over EU building in Gaza to protest Muhammad cartoons

(VIDEO) Dozens of Islamic Jihad and Fatah gunmen stormed the European Union building in the Gaza Strip on Thursday to protest the publication of Prophet Muhammad cartoons in a Danish newspaper.

 

Gaza gunmen take over EU building (Footage: Reuters)

 

The armed Palestinians demanded an official Danish apology for the caricatures, which the gunmen said hurt the feelings of Muslims.

 

Meanwhile, a different group associated with Fatah, the Abu-Rish Brigades, issued an eight-hour ultimatum to Denmark and a similar demand for an apology. The group's announcement noted that should Denmark and Europe fail to apologies, "We'll abduct and hurt all citizens of the European countries who hurt Islam's feelings and honor."

 

The attack on the EU offices is the second this week. On Sunday, 15 masked al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades gunmen stormed the EU building and demanded an immediate apology from Denmark and Norway for publishing cartoons that offended many Muslim nations.

 

One gunman advised Danish and Norwegian nationals to avoid Gaza until their governments apologize for the cartoons. The gunmen left after half an hour.

 

Two days later dozens of Palestinians protested outside the Danish embassy in Tel Aviv. MKs Talab El-Sana and Abdulmalik Dehamshe and the head of the Islamic Movement’s southern branch Sheikh Ibrahim Sarsour, were among the protesters and demanded an official apology from Denmark. The MKs also submitted a letter of protest to the embassy.

 

Al-Qaeda-linked group joins fray

 

Thursday’s protests are part of a wave of anger among Muslims that started in September when Danish daily Jylands-Posten published a series of caricatures ridiculing Prophet Muhammad. The caricatures, one of which depicts Mohammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban, caused uproar among Denmark’s Muslims and triggered an international debate about the ethics of mocking religious prophets.

 

The newspaper published an apology and left the Danish government to deal with numerous complaints. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen apologied for the harm cause to Muslims but said the government is not responsible for the content of national newspapers.

 

For the time being the scandal seems far from dying out and European countries are bracing for hostilities between Muslims and right-wing elements. In Denmark, rightist parties organized a protest over the weekend with activists planning to burn copies of the Koran.

 

The controversial caricatures were published on Wednesday in seven European newspapers, including France Soir in France, Die Welt in Germany, La Stampa in Italy, and El Periodico in Spain.

 

France Soir said it published the caricatures in defense of freedom of speech and religious tolerance.

 

“Since no religious belief can impose its position on a secular and democratic society, France Soir is publishing these incriminating caricatures,” the newspaper wrote.

 

Meanwhile al-Qaeda affiliated group Abu Hafez al-Masri Brigades threatened Denmark on Wednesday with “bloody war” in reaction to insults against Prophet Muhammad.

 

In a message sent to the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi, the group warned of attacks in Denmark similar to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. The message comes in the wake of a series of calls for attacks against Denmark published on Jihadi websites.

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.02.06, 13:02
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