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FRESH PROTESTS ERUPTED across the Muslim world on Friday against a US-made film and French cartoons mocking Islam, with violent demonstrations in Pakistan leaving at least 15 people dead.
France
France, where a magazine this week published a series of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed, has shut embassies, consulates, cultural centres and schools in 20 Muslim countries, fearing the fury will spread from US targets.
Pakistan bore the brunt of the anger today, with huge crowds of demonstrators throwing stones and setting buildings ablaze to denounce the film.
There were clashes in the country’s five largest cities leaving 15 dead and 219 others wounded, as protesters defied government calls for peaceful demonstrations on what was declared a national holiday in honour of Mohammed.
Police fought back with gunshots and tear gas as arsonists and looters attacked cinemas, banks, shops and restaurants in Karachi, where outbreaks of political and ethnically-linked violence have killed hundreds this year.
Two cinemas were also torched and ransacked in the northwestern city of Peshawar, on the edge of tribal belt strongholds of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
In Karachi, a policeman who died after being shot when officers used tear gas to disperse a crowd near the US consulate was among 10 people killed in the country’s largest city.
Five people were killed in Peshawar, including the driver for a TV channel which blamed police for his death.
In Islamabad gunshots were also fired outside the five-star Serena Hotel and police baton-charged some 8,000 protesters trying to penetrate the heavily-guarded diplomatic enclave.
Day of love for the prophet
The government had declared Friday a “day of love for the prophet”, but for hours shut down mobile telephone networks in an apparent bid to prevent extremists from exploiting the protests to carry out bomb attacks.
Prime Minister Raja Pervez said:
It is our collective responsibility to protest peacefully without causing harm or damage to life or property.
Washington has warned citizens not to travel to Pakistan and spent $70,000 to air TV adverts in the country disassociating the American government from the film.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reminded governments of their “solemn duty” to protect diplomatic missions, saying that “they must be safe and protected places”.
In the Arab world, Sunnis and Shiites took to the streets of Lebanon, while there were also demonstrations in Basra in south Iraq and in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
Tunisia had banned all demonstrations amid fears of violence and Libya’s second city Benghazi braced for rival demonstrations by a jihadist militia and its opponents.
There were also demonstrations across Asia in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and Bangladesh, where about 10,000 took to the streets of Dhaka to condemn the film and the French cartoons.
These individuals are not fit to be guests on the Jerry Springer Show let alone hold the presidency of a country!
They could be Jeremy Kyle material though…
You’d think the first thing he would be doing is filing a law suit against the article.
He probably is
If he doesn’t sue = guilty. Trump did his homework. Clinton is in for some abuse.
“Guilty” implies that it is illegal to cheat on your spouse. It is not.
I hate this aspect to politics in some countries, mainly in the English speaking world. Unless you plan on marrying Ted Cruz, who cares if he cheats constantly on his wife or not? If you’re considering him as a potential political leader rather than a potential future spouse, surely it’s his policies rather than his fidelity with which you should be concerned. When Hollande’s extramarital dalliances were released in the French media, the French public rounded on the publications immediately, and insisted their president’s personal life should remain private – the yanks, and often ourselves, could learn a lot from that attitude.
Great entertainment, these lads.
Com’on Ted….don’t do the Facebook thingy, sue Trump…isn’t that the American thing to do when they make false accusations.
How would he sue Trump for something printed in the National Enquirer?
If Cruz wants to become president he should probably do what most intelligent people do and ignore whatever his name is
Any wonder more and more people are becoming disillusioned with politics.
Trump trumps the competition!
Brilliant.
Why couldn’t we have an election like that instead of the boring shite we got? People can slag Trump off but the difference between him and other politicians is that he’s telling the truth and they don’t like that.
Donald Trump speakes the truth? Hey generalises whole population’s to further his own agenda. He has countless failed businesses he mocks people with disabilities he counts on ignorance for support. If that’s the truth you are seeking you will die a happy man I’m sure
I have absolutely no idea what your argument is.
Point proven I think
Argument should be Trump does not tell the truth. In fact he will take any position if he thinks it will get him votes. He is very talented at playing to the media and at speaking to people who are disillusioned with the American political system but happy not to look past the sound bite. He plays on people’s fears and exacerbates their prejudices. Blame Muslims, blame Mexicans, blame Democrates, Obamas to blame. Easier to blame others and allude to a simple solution that will make their lives easier. Scary that people are thick enough to drink the Kool aid.
Maybe it’s because he actually listens to the disaffected American people and isn’t one of these leftie liberals who just tell people what to do. Latino immigrants are taking American jobs. You can’t say that. It’s racist. Mexicans are drug pushers. More racism. Muslims are shielding terrorists. That’s bigotry. Russia is the enemy of the free world. Please don’t make Putin angry. It’s this liberal rubbish that has put IS terrorists and foreign criminals in the heart of all our major European cities. Trump is someone who listens to the Americans who are saying enough is enough and his policies are going to take him all the way to the White House.
What an odd world view you have.
He’s right, Trump is going to win. I look forward to an American president that won’t use a politicians filter. He touches on subjects that most would never dare. That has to be a good thing.
“Mexicans are Drug pushers. That’s racism” – yes that statement could not possibly fit the definition of racist more perfectly. I don’t disagree though that there are issues to be dealt with – illegal immigration, terrorism etc but lets say for a second that Trump believes what he’s saying and implements his policies- build a wall to eliminate the Mexican drug pushers and rapists. Walls have worked well in Israel and Germany in the past and obviously there are no rapists or drug dealers amongst the non Latino races.. – ban Muslims from America. Hmmm what if the nasty terrorists were smart enough to lie about their religious beliefs not to mention the effect even suggesting this as a legitimate tact has on the majority of the worlds Muslims who are non radical!! – bomb the sh*t out of Isis. We’ll just wait for the stateless organisations leaders to all get together so we know where to send the jets will we?
You don’t disagree there are problems to be dealt with. You just don’t have the balls to actually tackle them because it might offend people. You and the rest of the liberals. It’s no surprise that right wing parties are becoming more powerful across the Western World. Politics has become polarised. You either stand up for yourself or bend over and take it.
Well the far-right do love dragging us all into a good war every couple of decades.
Socialism is about looking out for one another, Capitalism is about becoming a fat cat at the expense of your fellow citizens. Materialism is huge at the minute, and everywhere you look people seem to be plugged into devices. I wonder what kind of species are we becoming. We will suck this planet for everything it’s worth before we move on, but maybe that’s the plan. As long as we pass on the right message.
Materialism and bling has always been huge, people have always been saps.
Love this site, pretty good at wading through the key points. Basically Trump isn’t telling the truth 3/4 of the time http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/
“Latino immigrants are taking American jobs”
Were those jobs in the farmers fields picking crops in Alabama that the locals couldn’t do? (Notice that I didn’t type wouldn’t)
Were those jobs in the abattoirs where the locals were demonstrating & the place ended up being raided ? Well those very same demonstrators ended up getting offered the jobs ? They didn’t last pi$$ing time .. True story.
“Illegal immigrants pay an estimated $10.6 billion to state and local taxes in 2010, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)..On average they pay about 6.4% of their income in state and local taxes..”
“Undocumented immigrants contribute more in payroll taxes than they will ever consume in public benefits.”
Trump himself uses the HB1 visa that he wants to “get rid of ” but just last month, one of his companies, the elite Mar-a-Lago Club resort in Florida, applied to import 70 foreign workers to serve as cooks, wait staff and cleaners.There was a few hundred local AMERICANS (those jobs that he wants to protect ) that applied for the jobs but were turned down ..
Trump is a hypocrite of the highest order..
Can’t stump the trump
Doesn’t this umpa lumpa have some chocolate to make? .
I’ve been watching the betting lads and for months hilary is the clear favorite to become the next president! She has always been about 1/3 and Trump waivers about 3/1 to 7/2 and over the years bookies rarely get it wrong… Good fun though watching those two goof balls..
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Stay classy America stay classy
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