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Pakistan condemns publication of blasphemous caricatures

Xinhua, January 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned the publication of blasphemous caricatures in a French magazine, which triggered widespread protests across the Islamic world including Pakistan.

Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine, has printed caricature of Prophet Muhammad after a group of militants attacked its office in Paris and killed nearly a dozen people earlier this month.

The magazine had defended the action as freedom of expression, the notion rejected by the Muslim world. A survey shows that half of population in France has also opposed publication of the caricatures.

"We believe that freedom of expression should not be misused as means to attack or hurt public sentiments or religious beliefs," the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

"This is an attempt to divide peoples and civilizations. There is a need to promote harmony among peoples and communities instead of reinforcing stereotypes and making people alienated in their own countries," a ministry's statement said.

Islamic parties in Pakistan have called for big rallies against the French magazine on Friday.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has written a letter to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Secretary General Iyad Madani recommending a legal action to seek an apology from the French magazine and joint action by the Ummah to get criminalization of all acts of Islamophobia, the Foreign Ministry said.

"Echoing the sentiments of the people of Pakistan, the President and the Prime Minister have strongly condemned the publication, which has caused great offense to Muslims by hurting their sentiments and religious sensibilities all over the world."

The National Assembly and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have passed resolutions condemning the blasphemous publication which has hurt the core belief of all Muslims.

At least six people, including a photo journalist, were injured on Friday in clashes between police and protesters against the caricatures of Charlie Hebdo in the southern port city of Karachi. Endi