Cartoon Protests Leave 15 Dead in Nigeria

[pawn]

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - Nigerian Muslims protesting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad attacked Christians and burned churches on Saturday in violence that left at least 15 people dead, police and a resident said.

Troops and police reinforcements have been deployed to restore order in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, where 15 Christian churches were burned, said Nigerian police spokesman Haz Iwendi.

Chima Ezeoke, a Maiduguri resident, said the protesters attacked and looted shops in the city owned by minority Christians, most of them with origins in the country's south.

"Most of the dead were Christians beaten to death on the streets by the rioters," Ezeoke said.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country of more than 130 million people, is roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a mainly Christian south.

The cartoons, which first appeared in a Danish newspaper in September, have set off sometimes violent protests around the world. One caricature shows Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban with an ignited detonator string.

Islam widely holds that representations of Muhammad are banned for fear they could lead to idolatry.

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Yes idolatry is so much worse than killin people in the streets.

Pawn are yu not beginning to see the pattern. Upset Muslims riot in France now they riot thorughout EUrope and even th World over cartoons.

We have no idea the type of enemy we are facing.

Remember Muslim faith is a tolerant and peaceful faith (now where is that sarcasm tag).

[pawn]

Yes idolatry is so much worse than killin people in the streets.

Pawn are yu not beginning to see the pattern. Upset Muslims riot in France now they riot thorughout EUrope and even th World over cartoons.

We have no idea the type of enemy we are facing.

Remember Muslim faith is a tolerant and peaceful faith (now where is that sarcasm tag).

they seem to be thin skinned fellows.....

[storm]

"Islam widely holds that representations of Muhammad are banned for fear they could lead to idolatry."

You worded this better than most media which as you know have been reporting the practice of picturing Muhammed is prohibited. Actually according to Aljeezra "While the Quran, the Islamic holy book, does not explicitly prohibit the depiction of human figures".. The site does go on to echo the concept that ", Muslims understand certain Quranic verses as meaning that Allah and His prophets cannot be captured in an image by human hand - such is God's grandeur."

So basically Muslims are just offneded at the way their "prophet" is being displayed but there is actually no prohibition against the display of Muhhamed.

Talk about nuance.

I have searched the Quran at length and I can find no such instruction for followers.

Finally is not a riot about an image the same thing. I mean think about it. Is not their reaction the equivalent of Idolatry?

I am going to search these so called letters next.