Danish newspapers reprint controversial Mohammed cartoon

COPENHAGEN (AFP) — Several Danish newspapers reprinted on Wednesday a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed that caused bloody riots in the Islamic world two years ago, a move that prompted Iran to angrily summon Denmark's ambassador.

Three of Denmark's biggest dailies were among 17 that published the cartoon, vowing to defend freedom of expression a day after police foiled a plot to murder the cartoonist.

The caricature, which featured the prophet's head with a turban that looked like a bomb with a lit fuse, was one of 12 cartoons published in September 2005 by the Jyllands-Posten daily.

The controversy sparked violent protests in a number of Muslim countries in January and February 2006 that culminated with the torching of Danish diplomatic offices in Damascus and Beirut and the death of dozens of people in Nigeria, Libya and Pakistan.

Iran showed its anger at the reprinting of the cartoon by summoning the Danish ambassador and voicing an official protest, the state run IRNA news agency said.

It carried a government statement saying the foreign ministry, "strongly condemned this (printing of Continue reading the remaining 74% ...