January 27, 2006	Friday	Zilhaj 26, 1426

RIYADH, Jan 26: Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it had recalled its ambassador to Denmark, saying the government had not taken enough action over newspaper cartoons seen as mocking Islam.

“The Saudi government recalled its ambassador for consultations in light of the Danish government’s lack of attention to insulting the Holy Prophet (pbuh) by its newspapers,” a government official said. “This led to an escalation of the situation and its development.”

A Saudi foreign ministry official confirmed the recall.

Denmark’s largest newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, ran 12 cartoons last September that were considered blasphemous by Muslims.

The Danish ambassador in Riyadh issued a statement last week saying Denmark respects Islam and stating that the paper publishing the pictures is independent of the government.

But Saudi Arabia’s top religious scholar on Wednesday called upon the Danish government to punish the paper.

Phone text messages circulating in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks have called on Saudis to boycott Danish products. Anger had sparked a boycott of Danish dairy products in Saudi Arabia.

Norway said on Thursday it had advised its Middle East embassies to voice regret that an Oslo-based newspaper ran reprints of the cartoons.

The Danish government appeared to have defused the row with a New Year address by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen which defended free speech, but urged Danes to exercise the right without inciting hatred against Muslims.

—Reuters