Cairo - At least 10 people have been killed in violent
protests in the West African nation of Niger over the
French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo's depiction of
the Prophet Muhammad, the country's president said. President Mahamadou Issoufou said that five deaths
were reported after demonstrations in Niamey, the
capital, on Saturday. Another five people died Friday in the town of Zinder
following prayer services there. The victims were
inside churches and bars that were set ablaze, he
said. The violence erupted after Charlie Hebdo published its
first issue since the 7 January attack on its
headquarters by Islamic extremists that left 12
people dead. The magazine, which had long antagonised Muslims
with its depictions of the prophet, carried a cover
cartoon depicting Muhammad holding a "Je Suis
Charlie" sign. According to mainstream Islamic tradition, any
physical depiction of the Prophet Muhammad - even a
respectful one - is considered blasphemous. Also Read:Four dead in Niger anti-French protest While many Muslims have expressed disgust at the
deadly assault on the magazine's Paris office, many
are also deeply offended by the magazine's cartoons
lampooning Muhammad. In Iran, the government has publicly condemned both
the attack on Charlie Hebdo and the magazine itself,
calling the continued publishing of Muhammad
caricatures "provocative" and an insult to Islam. Iranian judicial authorities on Saturday banned a daily
newspaper for publishing a front-page headline that
allegedly indicated support for Charlie Hebdo. Elsewhere in the Muslim world on Saturday,
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani condemned
Charlie Hebdo, calling the newest cover image of
Prophet Muhammad a blasphemous and
irresponsible act. "Freedom of expression should be used in a way to
boost understanding between the religions," he said
in a statement issued by the presidential palace. Also Read: Charlie Hebdo crowd sets fire to French cultural centre in Niger Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also issued a
statement of condemnation, warning that, "offensive
words might lead to further bloodshed." He also reiterated his condemnation of the attacks on
innocent victims in Paris, saying that terrorism, "has
nothing to do with Islam in any way." Protesters also demonstrated in front of the French
Embassy in the Yemeni capital of Sana'a, as well as in
the Pakistani city of Karachi. In Egypt, the Islamist Noor Party denounced the latest
Charlie Hebdo cover on its French-language Facebook
page. "Just as the Noor Party rejects the assault on civilians
and the negative effects it has for all Muslims of
Europe, it also rejects this barbaric, irresponsible act
under the name of freedom of expression," the
statement declared. In Gaza City, the capital of the Gaza Strip, unknown
vandals scrawled graffiti on the walls of the French
Cultural Center. In addition to statements praising the
Prophet Muhammad and declaring him off-limits for
ridicule or satire, the vandals also wrote: "To hell, to a
miserable destiny, French journalists." source http://m.news24.com/nigeria/World/News/Charlie-Hebdo-protests-leave-at-least-10-dead-in-Niger-20150118-2