Protesters target France over cartoons

20 Sep 2012, 9:33 pm   -   Source: AAP

France is bracing for a backlash over obscene cartoons of Prophet Mohammed, as protests continue across the Muslim world over an anti-Islam film.

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France has been swept up in the wave of anger washing over the Muslim world as protesters in Afghanistan and Iran denounced a magazine's publication of obscene cartoons of Prophet Mohammed.

Chanting "Death to France! Death to America!", hundreds demonstrated on Thursday in the Afghan capital Kabul against the cartoons and a US-made anti-Islam film that has sparked widespread outrage.

In Tehran, up to 200 people protested in front of France's embassy, chanting "Death to France!", as well as Iran's arch-foes Israel and the United States, as dozens of police deployed around the compound prevented the crowd from approaching.

They dispersed without incident after two hours at the request of the police, however they burnt American and Israeli flags before leaving.

France has been bracing for a backlash following Wednesday's publication of the cartoons two of which show the founder of Islam naked - by satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

In anticipation of potential protests on Friday, the Muslim day of prayer, Paris said it would shutter its diplomatic missions, cultural centres and French schools in around 20 Muslim countries.

More than 30 people have been killed in attacks and violent protests linked to the film Innocence of Muslims, including 12 people who died in an attack by a female suicide bomber in Afghanistan and four Americans, among them the US ambassador, killed at the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

The crudely made film - produced by US-based extremist Christians and depicting the prophet as a thuggish womaniser - has triggered protests in at least 20 countries since excerpts were posted online.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon joined condemnation of the film on Wednesday, saying freedom of expression should not be abused "to provoke or humiliate some others' values and beliefs".

"Freedom of expression, while it is a fundamental right and privilege, should not be abused by such people, by such a disgraceful and shameful act," Ban said.

The low-budget, amateurish video appears to have been the work of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an Egyptian Coptic Christian and convicted fraudster living in California who went into hiding Saturday.

Cast members have said they had no idea the video was about Mohammed, as all references to him were dubbed over the original video later. One actress in the film, Cindy Lee Garcia, said she is suing the reputed producer.

Protests against the film took place in many countries on Wednesday, including in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Sri Lanka.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has called for protests all week in Lebanon and major demonstrations are expected in Pakistan on Friday, where the government has declared a national holiday in honour of Mohammed.

Washington has also moved to boost security amid the protests, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying the United States was taking "aggressive steps" to protect diplomatic missions worldwide.

The US embassy in Jakarta said all its diplomatic missions in Indonesia would be closed on Friday because of "the potential for significant demonstrations".

Singapore on Thursday joined countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan that have blocked access to YouTube following the site's release of the clip of the film.

In France, police said Thursday they had forbidden a demonstration planned for Saturday in front of Paris's Grand Mosque.

The interior ministry has said it will deny all requests for permits to protest the film after a demonstration last weekend near the US embassy in Paris turned violent.

Leaders of France's Muslim community - the largest in western Europe - said an appeal for calm would be read in mosques across the country on Friday but also condemned Charlie Hebdo for publishing "insulting" images.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said anyone offended by the cartoons could go to court, but he also stressed that in France "freedom of expression is guaranteed, including the freedom to caricature".

Egypt's influential Muslim Brotherhood demanded on Thursday that France act against the magazine in the same way as against the topless pictures of Prince William's wife, Catherine.

Its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), called for "firm and rapid measures against the (French) magazine" Charlie Hebdo.

The movement, from which President Mohamed Morsi emerged, pointed out that "the French judiciary has taken dissuasive measures against a magazine which published the photographs" of the British royal.

French authorities on Tuesday banned the magazine Closer from any further publication or resale of the pictures and launched a criminal investigation into how they were obtained.

The FJP also stressed "the tough stand (of French authorities) against those who deny the Holocaust" in France.

Charlie Hebdo's editor, Stephane Charbonnier, described those getting irate over the cartoons as "ridiculous clowns" and accused the government of pandering to them by criticising the magazine for being provocative.

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