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Insulting cartoons: `violent acts' condemned

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and some others have condemned the "recent violent acts" that have surpassed "the limits of peaceful protest" on the issue of insulting caricatures of Prophet Muhammed published by a Danish newspapers. In a joint statement, they, however, shared their anguish with the Muslim World at the publication of the offensive cartoons.

The statement was adopted by the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, and the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, Javier Solana, besides Mr. Annan. The statement was released here on Thursday by Austria's Ambassador Jutta Stefan-Basti since Austria is currently holding the rotating European Union presidency.

The statement upheld the right to freedom of speech. At the same time, it said that "freedom of the press entails responsibility and discretion, and should respect the beliefs and tenets of all religions."

There was an urgent need for a renewed dialogue among and between communities of different faiths and authorities of different countries. They should all appeal for calm and restraint in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect.

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