The Muslim leaders in the West who claim that there is no incompatibility between Sharia and free societies should not only condemn the cartoon rage protests, but should institute programs to teach Muslims in mosques and Islamic schools why they should accept the freedom of speech and not riot or kill over cartoons of Muhammad. They should do this, but they won’t.
“WATCH: French flag burned on Temple Mount in a large rally against Mohammad cartoons,” by Dov Lieber, Reuters, January 17, 2015:
The protest in Jerusalem was among a number of demonstrations across the Middle East on Friday, some turning violent, against Charlie Hebdo’s new cover featuring Mohammad.
Hundres of Palestinians attended a rally on Friday afternoon on the Temple Mount against the new cover of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which featured a drawing of the Prophet Mohammad.
In a video uploaded by the Hamas-affiliated Shehab News Agency, protestors can be seen burning a French flag , and shouting: “Burn it burn it! ….. in the cause of God. Allah the greatest. Prophet Muhammad is our leader forever.”
Charlie Hebdo’s first edition since the attack on its office in Paris last week that left 12 journalists dead, published on Wednesday, featured another cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad on a cover that critics saw as a new provocation.
A protest in Niger against the French magazine’s cartoons turned violent on Friday as demonstrators set fire to churches and raided shops run by Christians, residents said.
Police in the former French colony’s southern town of Zinder fired tear gas on a crowd of hundreds of people as tires burned in the streets.
“The protesters are crying out in local Hausa language: Charlie is Satan – let hell engulf those supporting Charlie,” said Aboubacar Mamane, a shopkeeper by telephone.
Meanwhile, in Algiers, police clashed with protesters after rioting broke out at the end of a march against the French satirical magazine.
Several officers were injured during the clashes, with police firing riot pellets and small groups of protesters responding with rocks, fireworks and bottles in the streets around the waterfront area of the Algerian capital.
Hundreds of people including women and children had earlier marched peacefully through the capital chanting “God is Great,” singing and waving placards saying “I am Mohammad” in French and Arabic to protest against Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons.
“This is my religion. I am with my prophet and they criticized him,” said Mohammed Rechache, a truck driver who took part in the Algiers march with his young son before the riots….