Yemeni editor faces death over cartoons
SANA'A (Yemen) — A newspaper editor in Yemen, who re-published Danish cartoons depicting Islam's founding Prophet Mohammed, has said that as many as 21 Yemeni prosecutors are calling for his execution..
"I am afraid but I am also hopeful," Mr Muhammad Al Asadi of the Yemen Observer said yesterday from the capital, Sana'a. "We were against the cartoons and we wanted only to explain about Islam. I hope the judge will see that.".Mr Al Asadi was arrested in February and charged under a press law that bans publication of anything that "prejudices the Islamic faith and its lofty principles, or belittles monotheistic religions or humanitarian creeds"..
He said the prosecution may be motivated by the English-language newspaper's reporting on corruption in the country's embassies. The Information Ministry, which oversees the media, did not comment..The editor spent 12 days in prison, before being released on bail. Three other Yemeni journalists have also been jailed for reprinting the cartoons, which angered Muslims worldwide and led to violent demonstrations in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria..
The 12 images, some of which link the prophet to terrorism, were first published in Denmark's largest broadsheet, Jyllands- Posten, in September. Mr Carsten Juste, editor-in-chief at the Danish daily, apologised for offending Muslims in a statement published on the newspaper's website on Jan 31..
As many as 21 Yemeni prosecution lawyers asked for the death penalty in yesterday's proceedings, arguing a precedent was set during the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime, according to Mr Al Asadi. He said the lawyers recounted a story in which the Prophet praised one of his companions for killing a woman who had insulted him..The prosecution, commissioned by the head of a legislative committee, also called for the confiscation of the newspaper's property and assets, and for compensation, Mr Al Asadi said. The case opened on Feb 15 and was adjourned until March 22, he added..The editor said he was very careful in the way he chose to reprint the cartoons, a way he did not think would cause offence.."We selected three of the 12 images, reduced them to fit in a 7cm-by-9cm box, and printed a thick black 'X' over them to show we disproved of them," he said..
Accompanying articles denounced the cartoons, called for calm and explained that the prophet should be honoured..
"We wrote in an editorial that the cartoons were terrible but we should accept the apologies of the newspaper that published them and move on," Mr Al Asadi said. "That's what really angered the hard-liners.".The Yemen Observer's license to print newspapers was revoked in a temporary action that the government is trying to make permanent. The staff has continued to publish on the Internet. — Bloomberg SANA'A (Yemen) — A newspaper editor in Yemen, who re-published Danish cartoons depicting Islam's founding Prophet Mohammed, has said that as many as 21 Yemeni prosecutors are calling for his execution..
"I am afraid but I am also hopeful," Mr Muhammad Al Asadi of the Yemen Observer said yesterday from the capital, Sana'a. "We were against the cartoons and we wanted only to explain about Islam. I hope the judge will see that.".Mr Al Asadi was arrested in February and charged under a press law that bans publication of anything that "prejudices the Islamic faith and its lofty principles, or belittles monotheistic religions or humanitarian creeds"..
He said the prosecution may be motivated by the English-language newspaper's reporting on corruption in the country's embassies. The Information Ministry, which oversees the media, did not comment..The editor spent 12 days in prison, before being released on bail. Three other Yemeni journalists have also been jailed for reprinting the cartoons, which angered Muslims worldwide and led to violent demonstrations in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria..The 12 images, some of which link the prophet to terrorism, were first published in Denmark's largest broadsheet, Jyllands- Posten, in September. Mr Carsten Juste, editor-in-chief at the Danish daily, apologised for offending Muslims in a statement published on the newspaper's website on Jan 31..
As many as 21 Yemeni prosecution lawyers asked for the death penalty in yesterday's proceedings, arguing a precedent was set during the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime, according to Mr Al Asadi. He said the lawyers recounted a story in which the Prophet praised one of his companions for killing a woman who had insulted him..The prosecution, commissioned by the head of a legislative committee, also called for the confiscation of the newspaper's property and assets, and for compensation, Mr Al Asadi said. The case opened on Feb 15 and was adjourned until March 22, he added..The editor said he was very careful in the way he chose to reprint the cartoons, a way he did not think would cause offence..
"We selected three of the 12 images, reduced them to fit in a 7cm-by-9cm box, and printed a thick black 'X' over them to show we disproved of them," he said..Accompanying articles denounced the cartoons, called for calm and explained that the prophet should be honoured.."We wrote in an editorial that the cartoons were terrible but we should accept the apologies of the newspaper that published them and move on," Mr Al Asadi said. "That's what really angered the hard-liners.".
The Yemen Observer's license to print newspapers was revoked in a temporary action that the government is trying to make permanent. The staff has continued to publish on the Internet. — Bloomberg SANA'A (Yemen) — A newspaper editor in Yemen, who re-published Danish cartoons depicting Islam's founding Prophet Mohammed, has said that as many as 21 Yemeni prosecutors are calling for his execution.."I am afraid but I am also hopeful," Mr Muhammad Al Asadi of the Yemen Observer said yesterday from the capital, Sana'a. "We were against the cartoons and we wanted only to explain about Islam. I hope the judge will see that.".Mr Al Asadi was arrested in February and charged under a press law that bans publication of anything that "prejudices the Islamic faith and its lofty principles, or belittles monotheistic religions or humanitarian creeds"..
He said the prosecution may be motivated by the English-language newspaper's reporting on corruption in the country's embassies. The Information Ministry, which oversees the media, did not comment..The editor spent 12 days in prison, before being released on bail. Three other Yemeni journalists have also been jailed for reprinting the cartoons, which angered Muslims worldwide and led to violent demonstrations in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria..
The 12 images, some of which link the prophet to terrorism, were first published in Denmark's largest broadsheet, Jyllands- Posten, in September. Mr Carsten Juste, editor-in-chief at the Danish daily, apologised for offending Muslims in a statement published on the newspaper's website on Jan 31..
As many as 21 Yemeni prosecution lawyers asked for the death penalty in yesterday's proceedings, arguing a precedent was set during the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime, according to Mr Al Asadi. He said the lawyers recounted a story in which the Prophet praised one of his companions for killing a woman who had insulted him..
The prosecution, commissioned by the head of a legislative committee, also called for the confiscation of the newspaper's property and assets, and for compensation, Mr Al Asadi said. The case opened on Feb 15 and was adjourned until March 22, he added..
The editor said he was very careful in the way he chose to reprint the cartoons, a way he did not think would cause offence.."We selected three of the 12 images, reduced them to fit in a 7cm-by-9cm box, and printed a thick black 'X' over them to show we disproved of them," he said..Accompanying articles denounced the cartoons, called for calm and explained that the prophet should be honoured..
"We wrote in an editorial that the cartoons were terrible but we should accept the apologies of the newspaper that published them and move on," Mr Al Asadi said. "That's what really angered the hard-liners.".
The Yemen Observer's license to print newspapers was revoked in a temporary action that the government is trying to make permanent. The staff has continued to publish on the Internet. — Bloomberg SANA'A (Yemen) — A newspaper editor in Yemen, who re-published Danish cartoons depicting Islam's founding Prophet Mohammed, has said that as many as 21 Yemeni prosecutors are calling for his execution..
"I am afraid but I am also hopeful," Mr Muhammad Al Asadi of the Yemen Observer said yesterday from the capital, Sana'a. "We were against the cartoons and we wanted only to explain about Islam. I hope the judge will see that.".Mr Al Asadi was arrested in February and charged under a press law that bans publication of anything that "prejudices the Islamic faith and its lofty principles, or belittles monotheistic religions or humanitarian creeds"..
He said the prosecution may be motivated by the English-language newspaper's reporting on corruption in the country's embassies. The Information Ministry, which oversees the media, did not comment..
The editor spent 12 days in prison, before being released on bail. Three other Yemeni journalists have also been jailed for reprinting the cartoons, which angered Muslims worldwide and led to violent demonstrations in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria..
The 12 images, some of which link the prophet to terrorism, were first published in Denmark's largest broadsheet, Jyllands- Posten, in September. Mr Carsten Juste, editor-in-chief at the Danish daily, apologised for offending Muslims in a statement published on the newspaper's website on Jan 31..
As many as 21 Yemeni prosecution lawyers asked for the death penalty in yesterday's proceedings, arguing a precedent was set during the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime, according to Mr Al Asadi. He said the lawyers recounted a story in which the Prophet praised one of his companions for killing a woman who had insulted him..
The prosecution, commissioned by the head of a legislative committee, also called for the confiscation of the newspaper's property and assets, and for compensation, Mr Al Asadi said. The case opened on Feb 15 and was adjourned until March 22, he added..The editor said he was very careful in the way he chose to reprint the cartoons, a way he did not think would cause offence.."We selected three of the 12 images, reduced them to fit in a 7cm-by-9cm box, and printed a thick black 'X' over them to show we disproved of them," he said..Accompanying articles denounced the cartoons, called for calm and explained that the prophet should be honoured.."
We wrote in an editorial that the cartoons were terrible but we should accept the apologies of the newspaper that published them and move on," Mr Al Asadi said. "That's what really angered the hard-liners.".The Yemen Observer's license to print newspapers was revoked in a temporary action that the government is trying to make permanent.
The staff has continued to publish on the Internet. — Bloomberg
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