Abbas orders probe into Palestinian cartoon of Prophet Mohammad
Artist Mohammed Sabanneh, a Muslim, said he meant no harm.
By KHALED ABU TOAMEHCartoon apparently depicting the Prophet Mohammad in an official Palestinian newspaper(photo credit: PALESTINIAN MEDIA)
The Palestinian newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda on Tuesday apologized for publishing a cartoon deemed offensive to Prophet Mohamed.The paper, which belongs to the Palestinian Authority, said it also suspended those responsible for the cartoon, which was published earlier this week.The apology and decision to suspend the employees came after PA President Mahmoud Abbas ordered an immediate investigation into the case and called for taking “deterring measures” against those responsible for the “grave mistake.”Cartoonist Mohamed Saba’neh issued a statement in which he denied any intention to insult the prophet. The cartoon depicts an image of a man standing on top of the earth under the caption “Prophet Mohamed.” The man is holding a briefcase in the shape of a heart.Islam forbids any depictions of Prophet Mohamed.
