The managing editor of a French daily newspaper that republished caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad has been fired, the paper said today.
The drawings, which first ran in a Danish paper in September and have riled the Muslim world, were reprinted yesterday in France Soirand several other European papers rallying to defend freedom of expression.
But the managing editor of France Soir, Jacques Lefranc, was fired after the publication by owner Raymond Lakah, an Egyptian magnate, employees of the paper said today.
Islamic tradition bars any depiction of the prophet to prevent idolatry. The drawings have prompted boycotts of Danish goods, bomb threats and demonstrations against Danish facilities, and divided opinion within Europe and the Middle East.
AP