Mass anti-Charlie rally held in Chechnya's Grozny
Iran Press TV
Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:41AM
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Chechnya's capital, Grozny, to protest against French magazine Charlie Hebdo's latest sacrilegious cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammad.
The protesters marched through Grozny on Monday, carrying posters reading 'Hands off our beloved Prophet' and 'Europe has only united us.'
Ramzan Kadryov, leader of the Muslim-majority Caucasian Republic, spoke at the rally saying, 'This is a protest against those who support the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed,' adding, 'This is a protest against those who insult the Muslim religion.'
The Grozny rally is the latest in a number of protests held in several countries, including Somalia, Pakistan, Niger and Yemen, against Charlie Hebdo's recent publication of a blasphemous cartoon of the Prophet of Islam.
On January 14, the French satirical magazine, whose Paris office was attacked by two gunmen on January 7, once again published a cartoon of the Prophet on the cover of its new edition despite warnings that the move is provocative.
The attack, which killed 12 people, is largely believed to have been launched over Charlie Hebdo's previous cartoons of the Prophet.
The al-Qaeda branch in Yemen later claimed responsibility for the attack on Charlie Hebdo, saying it chose and supported Said and Cherif Kouachi, the two brothers who allegedly carried out the deadly assault.
French President Francois Hollande has responded to the anti-Charlie rallies in other nations, saying protesters do not understand France's "attachment to the freedom of speech.'
CAH/NN/HRB
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