The head of Lebanese militant movement Hezbollah on Thursday told hundreds of thousands of cheering Shi’ites not to compromise until Denmark apologises for the prophet Muhammad cartoons.
Thousands of black-clad men and women, most of them youths, braved driving rain in central Beirut to attend the rally called by Hezbollah to mark the annual Shi’ite mourning ceremony of Ashura.
Hassan Nasrallah’s address came after a protest on Sunday in Beirut against the publication of the cartoons in Denmark and later in other European countries became a rampage that left the Danish embassy in flames and dozens injured.
“Efforts for compromise are being made while the offensive campaign is gathering steam and more newspapers are publishing the cartoon. There will be no compromise before we get an apology,” he said.
“We want European Parliaments to draft laws that ban newspapers from insulting the prophet,” he told the crowds at the Shi’ite gathering to mark the martyrdom in battle in 680 of their Imam Hussein.
“Otherwise it will mean that they are determined to pursue their campaign,” the charismatic Nasrallah said, drawing heavy applause.
Nasrallah also poured scorn on Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen “who has not yet apologised and is dilly-dallying”.
In an interview with an Egyptian weekly published on Thursday, Rasmussen again refused to apologise for the cartoons, published by Denmark’s best-selling daily, saying caricatures were a Danish “tradition”.
Nasrallah slammed President George Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who have both accused Iran and Syria of exploiting the cartoons row to stoke anti-West sentiments.
“The protests must be pursued everywhere. Bush and Rice should keep quiet and we tell them that we will not forgive those who offend our prophet,” Nasrallah said.
The rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the demonstrators.
“We are at your service, O prophet Mohammed”, shouted in unison the protesters who had arrived in southern Beirut, Hezbollah’s stronghold, in waves from all corners of Lebanon.
“The nation of the prophet will not accept offence,” and “What will there be after the insults?” read some of the slogans carried by the crowds who also held a procession to mark Ashura.
“This is an unprecedented protest. We have never seen so many people in the southern suburbs and it shows the people’s allegiance for their prophet Mohammed and their determination to defend him,” al-Manar television said.
The Hezbollah-ran television estimated that as many as 800 000 people took part in the rally.
Nasrallah meanwhile warned against the pursuit of anti-Muslim campaigns.
“Today we are protesting against the offences with words and protests, but we are ready to shed our blood if they continue,” he said.
The Hezbollah chief had criticised on Sunday the demonstrators who attacked churches and property in the mostly-Christian Ashrafiyeh neighbourhood of Beirut during the weekend violence.
Shi’ites account for almost 30% of Lebanon’s multi-confessional population. – AFP