ROME, April 15: An Italian magazine close to the influential Catholic conservative Opus Dei group has published a cartoon profaning the Holy Prophet (PBUH), sparking outrage among Muslim associations here.

Opus Dei distanced itself from the magazine, with spokesman Giuseppe Corigliano telling ANSA that Studi Cattolici is not an official publication of the group even though it is edited by an Opus Dei member.

However, he said Opus Dei members ‘are free to have all the opinions they want’.

Studi Cattolici editor Cesare Cavalleri told ANSA: “I hope the publication of this drawing won’t lead to attacks, because if that happened it would only prove the idiotic positions of Islamic extremists.”

Cartoons by 12 artists first published in a Danish newspaper and reprinted in a number of other mainly European dailies sparked protests worldwide.

Opus Dei, which has a chiefly lay membership, has aroused controversy over charges that it is secretive and socially ultra-conservative. It came to wider attention when it was heavily and unflatteringly featured in the best-selling novel ‘Da Vinci Code’.

The cartoon in Studi Cattolici drew immediate fire from Italy’s Muslim community. “With all the efforts made for inter-faith dialogue, there are nevertheless always minorities that inflame things and cause provocations,” said an official of the Union of Italian Muslim Communities.—AFP