Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Submit Guest Post

Pakistan slams French paper for reprinting Mohammed cartoons

Pakistan's foreign office condemned on Tuesday the decision by French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo to reprint cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

Thousands of people marched in Pakistani cities in 2015 after the weekly magazine first ran the images, deemed by many in the conservative Muslim country to be blasphemous.


"#Pakistan condemns in the strongest terms the decision by the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, to re-publish deeply offensive caricature of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)," the ministry of foreign affairs tweeted.

"Such a deliberate act to offend the sentiments of billions of Muslims cannot be justified as an exercise in press freedom or freedom of expression. Such actions undermine the global aspirations for peaceful co-existence as well as social and inter-faith harmony".

Under Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws, insulting the prophet can carry the death penalty.

Among those injured during a January 2015 march in Karachi was AFP photographer Asif Hassan, who recovered after being shot in the back.

Protesters at the time shouted slogans including "death to France", "death to the blasphemers" and "(We are) ready to sacrifice life for Prophet Mohammed".

Twelve people, including some of France's most celebrated cartoonists, were killed on January 7, 2015, when brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi went on a gun rampage at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris.

The paper said Tuesday it was reprinting the cartoons to mark this week's start of the trial of alleged accomplices to the attack.

Add EasternEye As Your Trusted Source
preferred source on google news

More For You

UK Farmers

Farmers are bringing in crops early as prolonged drought puts yields and water supplies under pressure

iStock

Britain puts £65m behind farmers as drought starts threatening the country’s food supply

  • Farmers in England will receive an additional £65m in support.
  • £15m will help fund on-farm reservoirs for future dry periods.
  • Britain is facing its third drought in five years.

Britain is putting £65 million into emergency support for farmers as the country's prolonged drought begins to threaten not just agricultural incomes but the reliability of its food supply.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the package on August 15, after England and Wales recorded their driest July on record. The support will go towards sustainable farming, new on-farm reservoirs and making it easier for farmers to access water during periods of shortage.

Keep ReadingShow less