Three people killed in Khartoum
Protesters stormed several western embassies in Khartoum after Friday prayers, infuriated by an anti-Islam film. The film depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a womanizer and leader of a group of men who enjoy killing. The exact origin of the film and the motivation behind its production remain unknown. The anti-Islam film incensed fury across the Middle East and at least five people were killed on Friday during demonstrations. Three people were killed during attempts to storm the US embassy on Friday September 14 in Khartoum, eye-witnesses told Radio Dabanga. At the same time, the German and British embassies were stormed by protesters. Radio Dabanga was informed by a witness that thousands of worshipers took to the streets after Friday prayers, chanting slogans against the US, Great Britain, Denmark and Germany. The witness explained that the demonstrations were organized by the official body of Sudan’s Islamic Scholars (Hayat Ulama’ el-Sudan) and Salafi Muslims. He added that protesters threw stones at the German embassy as well as the nearby British embassy and stormed the main gates. The police fired teargas to try and disperse thousands of protesters. The demonstrators raised a black Islamic flag with the words: “there is no God but God and Mohamed is his Prophet”. Foreign Ministers’ statementsGerman Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, said that the German embassy staff is safe “for the moment”. He emphasized to the Sudanese ambassador in Berlin that Sudan must protect diplomatic missions on its soil. Westerwelle said in a televised statement: “I condemn this shameful video, but there is no justification for violence and endangering of human lives”. BBC reports that the British embassy was also targeted by protesters but escaped major destruction. “I condemn in the strongest possible terms today’s attack and call on the Sudanese authorities to ensure that those involved are brought to justice,” said British Foreign Secretary William Hague. Reuters reported that the official body of Sudan’s Islamic scholars called for the faithful to defend the Prophet peacefully, but at a meeting of Islamists, some leaders said they would march on the German and U.S. embassies and demanded the ambassadors be expelled.Sudanese police, allegedly, did little to stop demonstrators from storming the embassies. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said in its statement: “The German chancellor unfortunately welcomed this offense to Islam in a clear violation of all meanings of religious co-existence and tolerance between religions.”
Protesters stormed several western embassies in Khartoum after Friday prayers, infuriated by an anti-Islam film. The film depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a womanizer and leader of a group of men who enjoy killing. The exact origin of the film and the motivation behind its production remain unknown. The anti-Islam film incensed fury across the Middle East and at least five people were killed on Friday during demonstrations.
Three people were killed during attempts to storm the US embassy on Friday September 14 in Khartoum, eye-witnesses told Radio Dabanga. At the same time, the German and British embassies were stormed by protesters. Radio Dabanga was informed by a witness that thousands of worshipers took to the streets after Friday prayers, chanting slogans against the US, Great Britain, Denmark and Germany. The witness explained that the demonstrations were organized by the official body of Sudan’s Islamic Scholars (Hayat Ulama’ el-Sudan) and Salafi Muslims.
He added that protesters threw stones at the German embassy as well as the nearby British embassy and stormed the main gates. The police fired teargas to try and disperse thousands of protesters. The demonstrators raised a black Islamic flag with the words: “there is no God but God and Mohamed is his Prophet”.
Foreign Ministers’ statements
German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, said that the German embassy staff is safe “for the moment”. He emphasized to the Sudanese ambassador in Berlin that Sudan must protect diplomatic missions on its soil. Westerwelle said in a televised statement: “I condemn this shameful video, but there is no justification for violence and endangering of human lives”.
BBC reports that the British embassy was also targeted by protesters but escaped major destruction.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms today’s attack and call on the Sudanese authorities to ensure that those involved are brought to justice,” said British Foreign Secretary William Hague.
Reuters reported that the official body of Sudan’s Islamic scholars called for the faithful to defend the Prophet peacefully, but at a meeting of Islamists, some leaders said they would march on the German and U.S. embassies and demanded the ambassadors be expelled.
Sudanese police, allegedly, did little to stop demonstrators from storming the embassies.
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said in its statement: “The German chancellor unfortunately welcomed this offense to Islam in a clear violation of all meanings of religious co-existence and tolerance between religions.”
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