Home>News Center>World
         
 

Iran rejects charge of inflaming violence
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-13 08:54

The Iranian government on Sunday rejected an accusation by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that it has fanned violent protests over caricatures of Islam's Prophet Muhammad and demanded an apology, saying that could reduce growing tension.

Rice, meanwhile, said Iran and Syria should be urging their citizens to remain calm — not encouraging violence like last week's attacks on Western diplomatic missions in Tehran, Damascus and Beirut, Lebanon. Nearly a dozen people also were killed in protests in Afghanistan.

"If people continue to incite it, it could spin out of control," she said Sunday on ABC's "This Week" as furor mounted over the cartoons of Islam's most revered figure that first appeared in a Danish newspaper four months ago.

The drawings — including one that depicts the prophet wearing a turban shaped like a bomb — have been reprinted in several publications in Europe, the United States and elsewhere in what publishers say is a show of solidarity for freedom of expression.

The images offended many Muslims as Islam widely holds that representations of the prophet are banned for fear they could lead to idolatry.

But some suggest the genuine anger displayed by crowds across the Muslim world has been exploited or intensified by some Muslim countries in the region to settle scores with Western powers.

Rice said Wednesday that "Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiments and to use this to their own purposes. And the world ought to call them on it."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said an apology from Rice and Denmark could help.

"What happened was a natural reaction," Asefi said, adding that "an apology could alleviate the tension."

He spoke as one of Iran's largest newspapers opened a contest Monday seeking caricatures of the Holocaust. Hamshahri newspaper said it wanted to test whether the West extends its principle of freedom of expression to the Nazi genocide as it did to the cartoons of Islam's prophet.

When asked by ABC to give evidence that Iran and Syria had incited the demonstrations, Rice pointed to the fact that little happens in the two countries without government permission.

"I can say that the Syrians tightly control their society and the Iranians even more tightly. It is well known that Iran and Syria bring protesters into the streets when they wish, to make a point," she said.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the drawings as "insensitive and rather offensive," but he called for dialogue.

"Right now there's megaphone diplomacy," Annan told Denmark's national broadcaster DR. "And I think we should turn off the megaphones and begin to talk quietly to each other."

Protests continued Sunday. Ultra-nationalist Turks, chanting "vengeance," pelted the French consulate in Istanbul with eggs as about 2,500 pro-Islamic demonstrators shouted "Down with America, Israel and Denmark." At least 30,000 protesters denounced publication of the drawings in a peaceful rally in southeast Turkey.
Page: 12



WPP Winners Gallery 2006
Annual severe winter season drill in South Korea
Hot air balloons take to the sky in Pampanga
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Dependence on oil needs to be cut, says panel

 

   
 

Rights of HIV/AIDS patients spelt out

 

   
 

US VP accidentally shoots fellow hunter

 

   
 

Interest rate gap helps manage currency

 

   
 

Sharon in critical but stable condition

 

   
 

Love and noses: Here's looking at the new you

 

   
  Sharon in critical but stable condition
   
  Record-setting snow buries US Northeast
   
  US VP accidentally shoots fellow hunter
   
  Al-Jaafari named to head new government
   
  Saddam to start hunger strike - lawyers
   
  Hamas expecting no conditions on talks in Moscow
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 天天操天天射天天插| 亚洲一区二区三区高清| 日本精品久久久久中文字幕 | 成人福利免费视频| 伊人狠狠色丁香综合尤物| 色成快人播电影网| 国产成人午夜片在线观看| 一级做a爰片性色毛片视频图片| 日本高清护士xxxxx| 亚洲一区二区三区偷拍女厕| 欧美精品v国产精品v| 国产乱子伦农村XXXX| 33333在线亚洲| 国产精品爽爽va在线观看无码| GOGO人体大胆全球少妇| 好爽好黄的视频| 中国帅男同chinese69| 日日夜夜综合网| 亚洲日本韩国在线| 自慰被室友看见强行嗯啊男男| 国产成人综合久久久久久| bt最佳磁力搜索引擎吧| 日韩精品无码久久一区二区三 | 一本大道在线无码一区| 护士好爽好深好多水| 亚洲人av高清无码| 欧美日韩一品道| 亚洲福利在线视频| 波多野结衣之双调教hd| 国产97人人超碰caoprom| 韩国女主播一区二区| 国产成人在线看| 国产91精品在线| 国产成人精品日本亚洲专区61 | 狠狠躁天天躁中文字幕无码 | 香蕉视频网站在线观看| 国产精品沙发午睡系列999| 91草莓视频在线观看| 国产麻豆va精品视频| 91精品91久久久久久| 国产超碰人人爽人人做人人添|