Muslims Target U.S. Embassy in Indonesia Sunday, February 19, 2006 JAKARTA, Indonesia — Hundreds of Muslims protesting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad tried to storm the U.S. Embassy on Sunday, smashing the windows of a guard post but failing to push through the gates. Several people were injured. Pakistani security forces, meanwhile, sealed off the capital of Islamabad to block a planned mass demonstration and fired tear gas and gunshots to chase off protesters. In Turkey, tens of thousands gathered in Istanbul chanting slogans against Denmark, Israel and the United States. Protests over the cartoons, which first appeared in a Danish newspaper in September and have been republished in other European publications and elsewhere, have swept across the Muslim world, growing into mass outlets for rage against the West in general, and Israel and the United States in particular. Christians also have become targets. Pakistani Muslims protesting in the southern city of Sukkur ransacked and burned a church Sunday after hearing accusations that a Christian man had burned pages of the Koran, Islam's holy book. That incident came a day after Muslims protesting in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri attacked Christians and burned 15 churches in a three-hour rampage that killed at least 15 people. Some 30 other people have died during protests over the cartoons that erupted about three weeks ago. In Jakarta, about 400 people marched to the heavily fortified U.S. mission in the center of the city, behind a banner reading "We are ready to attack the enemies of the Prophet." Protesters throwing stones and brandishing wooden staves tried to break through the gates. They set fire to U.S. flags and a poster of President Bush and smashed the windows of a guard outpost before dispersing after a few minutes. The U.S. Embassy called the attacks deplorable, describing them as acts of "thuggery." A protest organizer said the West, and particularly the United States, is attacking Islam. "They want to destroy Islam through the issue of terrorism ... and all those things are engineered by the United States," said Maksuni, who only uses one name. "We are fighting America fiercely this time," he said. "And we also are fighting Denmark." In Pakistan, where protests last week left five people dead, police put up roadblocks around Islamabad to keep people from entering the capital for a planned mass protest called by a coalition of six hard-line Islamic parties, the Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal — United Action Forum. Authorities also detained several lawmakers and Islamic leaders during raids in three cities and announced they would arrest anyone joining a gathering of more than five people to prevent the demonstration. Opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman, a senior figure in the Islamic coalition, was eventually given permission to lead a small rally through a square in the city center. The protesters chanted "God is great!" and "Any friend of America is a traitor." But when about 100 other protesters tried to reach the square, officers fired tear gas and at least one gunshot to chase them off. More gunshots were heard later in the city, but it wasn't clear who fired them. At least two policemen were injured, one bleeding from the head. Several demonstrators also were hurt. A crowd of 700 people, some throwing stones at police, tried to march toward Islamabad's heavily guarded diplomatic enclave about 1.3 miles from the square but with blocked by troops in armored personnel carriers. Police also blocked about 1,500 protesters from reaching Islamabad from the city of Peshawar by putting shipping containers and sandbags on a bridge along a highway leading to the capital, said Mohammed Iqbal, a key member of the religious alliance. Elsewhere in Pakistan, about 600 people staged a protest in Chaman, a town near the Afghan border, burning Danish flags and an effigy of the Danish prime minister. Such protests prompted Denmark on Sunday to temporarily recall its ambassador to Pakistan, Bent Wigotski, because it was impossible for him "to perform his job duties during the present circumstances," the Danish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Great to know that they appreciated all the help for the Tsunami. Its also amazing that we DIDNT EVEN DRAW THE CARTOONS and its somehow AMERICA's fault. I wish we could take all that Tsunami money back and give to the Katrina victims. Im so tired of these third world countries blaming America for everything.
Wow! A nation of 220 million people could only muster some hundred protestors (probably organized by Bakr or some other lunatic there)? I am impressed!
how about some adequent security for the USA Embassy and the Danish Embassy too. Where are all the arrests?
These idiots can't even tell the difference between Denmark and the US? What a bunch of illiterate fools.
It is amazing that you can make excuses for this. Perhaps it's our medias spin on the situation but it is awfully difficult to not pass judgement. It seems like you can only ignore the elephant in the room for so long.
tiger, i understand your point, but its denying this is happenning in the muslem community is the main reason why its happenning. they need to control their own. christianity use to be extremely brutal with protestants vs catholics and salem witch trials, the crusades etc. but christianity as a whole has moved on. people are overrating in every country where muslems live. i think this also part to the fact that most mulsem domminate countries are in bad economic shape or have repressive regimes. there is still no excuse for this, if the moderates dont take down the extremists, people will stereotype the religion with terrorism. and that's what the cartoon was trying to say.
I completely agree Tinman. Everything is the US's fault, even when things are originated from overseas from the USA and have nothing to do with the USA. This is just more of the stupid anti-US crap. I've grown up with it all around me (saudi).
dude our extremists would spread micheal w smith mania on them! plus we would drain them of all their money, we will only make the 700 club richer! they would have WWJD gear. hahaha
i forgot we would have a loud dude in every street corner saying we'd all go to hell if we dont repent. take that!
people from other countries have some warped view of the usa. when they come over here they learn its not what they expected. just like that old movie, i forgot the name, "i went to america to be among americans but all i found were jews, europeans, chinese, puerto ricans and africans.."
Whoa! Guys, I was just being sarcastic, relax. Judging from multiple articles I have read, these protests have been anything but spontaneous. There have been specific groups seeking to capitalize on the cartoon thing to flame emotions and rile the people up. I have always viewed extremism as a major issue in the Muslim world, and have done some research relating to my studies as far as the history/background of the rise of 'militant Islam', what factors contributed to it, and how to attempt and counter it. So believe me, you're preaching to choir here. Radical Islam has gained strength and momentum over the past century, due in no small part to the post-colonial legacy that still hangs like a dark cloud over the entire region, and those sentiments being exported to every corner of the world through Saudi-backed financing of Wahhabist thought throughtout the Muslim world.
I think you have that no matter where you go. There are a lot of isolated Americans (see above) who have an incredibly warped view of the rest of the world. I've met people in Asia who think we eat hamburgers all day, I've met people in the US that think everyone there is either a farmer or a factory slave. They have no idea that a lot of the Asian cities are more technologically advanced than ours.
some people here do eat hamburgers every day! Yes Asian cities have better cell phones (5megapixel LG phones) and crazy karoake joints. people always think texas is like DALLAS with JR EWING for some reason.
