Stirred up to wage the inner spiritual struggle by Friday sermons, the pious in Bangladesh take to the streets. “Violence over Bangladesh cartoon,” from the BBC (thanks to Paul):
Street clashes have broken out in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, as Islamic activists protested over the publication of an “offensive” cartoon.
Witnesses say that hundreds joined the protest, even though such demonstrations are officially banned under the country’s state of emergency.
Police baton-charged some of the protesters as they tried to break through barricades.
The leading Bangla-language newspaper published the offending cartoons.
Prothom Alo has since apologised for them and said that it has sacked an editor.
Islam is Bangladesh’s state religion and past governments have banned publications for insulting Muslim.
The country’s religious traditions are moderate but some people believe conservatives are becoming more influential.
Gee, ya think?
Witnesses say the violence began after Friday prayers, when protesters tried to break through barricades put up to prevent them reaching the Prothom Alo offices.
The demonstrators demanded the execution of the paper’s editor, Matiur Rahman, and burned effigies of him and his Bengali-language daily.
I wonder if a newspaper has ever been burned in effigy before.