February 23, 2008	Saturday	Safar 15, 1429

KARACHI, Feb 22: Supporters of Jamaat-i-Islami burned US and Danish flags in the city on Friday in fresh protests against the blasphemous sketches of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reprinted in Danish newspapers.

Around 150 JI supporters gathered outside Baitul Mukkarum mosque in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, flying banners demanding Pakistan sever diplomatic ties with Denmark.

“We do not need to have diplomatic relations with a country that hurts our religious sentiments,” the banners read, as demonstrators chanted: “Death to the cartoonist”.

Speaking at the protest rally, JI Sindh Naib Amir Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui said that to hurt the religious sentiments of 1.25 billion Muslims across the globe could in no way be termed independence of the media or freedom of expression.

He also severely criticised Muslim countries for not taking any action against this humiliating act. He deplored that the OIC did not even raise the issue in the UN Security Council. He, however, praised Iran for being the only Muslim country for raising its voice in this regard.

JI leader Nasrullah Shajee announced that a protest march would be organised on March 9.

The speakers at the demonstration called for a complete boycott of Danish commodities and expulsion of the Danish envoy from the country.

Pakistan on Tuesday summoned the Danish envoy in Islamabad to lodge a “strong protest” over the republication of the sketches. —Agencies