This just in:
Syrians have set fire to the Norwegian and Danish embassies in Damascus to protest at the publication of newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
Angry protesters attacked the Norwegian mission after storming the Danish site amid chants of "God is great".
The cartoons have sparked Muslim outrage across the world, following their publication in a Danish newspaper and reprinting in other European media.
Any images of the Prophet are banned under Islamic tradition.
Some of the cartoons depict Muhammad as a terrorist.
They have prompted diplomatic sanctions, boycotts and death threats in some Arab nations, while some newspapers have defended publication of the images in the name of press freedom.
In other developments:
Iran says it should consider abandoning commercial and trade deals with countries where the cartoons have appeared.
The Vatican says the right to freedom of expression does not imply the right to offend religious beliefs.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan calls for calm and urges Muslims to accept an apology from the Danish paper that first published the cartoons.
Syrians have been staging sit-ins outside the Danish embassy since the row intensified earlier this week, when Damascus recalled its ambassador.
CARTOON ROW
30 Sept: Danish paper publishes cartoons
20 Oct: Muslim ambassadors complain to Danish PM
10 Jan: Norwegian publication reprints cartoons
26 Jan: Saudi Arabia recalls its ambassador
30 Jan: Gunmen raid EU's Gaza office demanding apology
31 Jan: Danish paper apologises
1 Feb: Papers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain reprint cartoons
On Saturday, hundreds hurled stones and stormed the Danish site, before moving to the nearby Norwegian embassy.
"With our blood and souls we defend you, O Prophet of God," they chanted outside the Danish mission.
Some removed the Danish flag and replaced it with another reading: "There is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God."
The embassy was closed, but it was not immediately clear if it was empty when the protests started, Reuters news agency said.
Thick, black smoke rose from the building as firefighters struggled to put out the flames.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4681294.stm
Published: 2006/02/04 16:53:10 GMT
BBC MMVI
I hope the idiots who published the cartoons are satisfied with the result.
Blithering idiots!
Syrians have set fire to the Norwegian and Danish embassies in Damascus to protest at the publication of newspaper cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
Angry protesters attacked the Norwegian mission after storming the Danish site amid chants of "God is great".
The cartoons have sparked Muslim outrage across the world, following their publication in a Danish newspaper and reprinting in other European media.
Any images of the Prophet are banned under Islamic tradition.
Some of the cartoons depict Muhammad as a terrorist.
They have prompted diplomatic sanctions, boycotts and death threats in some Arab nations, while some newspapers have defended publication of the images in the name of press freedom.
In other developments:
Iran says it should consider abandoning commercial and trade deals with countries where the cartoons have appeared.
The Vatican says the right to freedom of expression does not imply the right to offend religious beliefs.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan calls for calm and urges Muslims to accept an apology from the Danish paper that first published the cartoons.
Syrians have been staging sit-ins outside the Danish embassy since the row intensified earlier this week, when Damascus recalled its ambassador.
CARTOON ROW
30 Sept: Danish paper publishes cartoons
20 Oct: Muslim ambassadors complain to Danish PM
10 Jan: Norwegian publication reprints cartoons
26 Jan: Saudi Arabia recalls its ambassador
30 Jan: Gunmen raid EU's Gaza office demanding apology
31 Jan: Danish paper apologises
1 Feb: Papers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain reprint cartoons
On Saturday, hundreds hurled stones and stormed the Danish site, before moving to the nearby Norwegian embassy.
"With our blood and souls we defend you, O Prophet of God," they chanted outside the Danish mission.
Some removed the Danish flag and replaced it with another reading: "There is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God."
The embassy was closed, but it was not immediately clear if it was empty when the protests started, Reuters news agency said.
Thick, black smoke rose from the building as firefighters struggled to put out the flames.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4681294.stm
Published: 2006/02/04 16:53:10 GMT
BBC MMVI
I hope the idiots who published the cartoons are satisfied with the result.
Blithering idiots!
scandi_rose:
No kidding Blasphemy is not tolerated even with freedom of the press there is limits of what can and cannot be said. to say or imply that Mahammed is a terrorist and islam is a terrorist religion is dead wrong, to insult islamics is dead wrong. to insult anyone is dead wrong. but to punish a country for the acts of a few is also wrong. Go after the artist and publishers not the embassies. i Know they are mad, who wouldn't be? but going after the wrong people just renforces the negitive images. 
i Know they are mad, who wouldn't be? but going after the wrong people just renforces the negitive images.