Bosnian cartoon protesters chant anti-Semitic, anti-Bush slogans
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - February 8, 2006 Wednesday

Excerpt from report by Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA

Sarajevo, 8 February: With chants of "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) hundreds of Bosnia-Hercegovina [B-H] Muslims set fire to Norwegian and Danish flags, which had "Go to Hell" written in English on them, during today's protest in Sarajevo, Srna's reporter has said from the scene.

The peaceful demonstration was announced in protest against the publication of insulting cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in the West European press.

More than 100 protestors are dressed in traditional Arab dress, with beards and caps characteristic of the Wahhabi fundamentalist movement and of Islam, while the women are veiled.

Apart from B-H flags, the protestors are also carrying the Islamic green flag with the half-crescent and star.

The number of demonstrators grew as they passed through the city, numbering about 500.

There were no incidents during the half-hour gathering outside the French embassy in Sarajevo, although there were insulting chants directed at Serbs and Jews, as well as US President George Bush.

A few hundred B-H Muslims chanted "For Allah, against the Vlachs [derogatory term for non-Muslims]" and "Bush and Jews are the terrorists".

The organizer of the protest, Salih Begovic, said that a "group of citizens" was behind today's demands and gathering.

Source: SRNA news agency, Bijeljina, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 1248 gmt 8 Feb 06

Copyright 2006 British Broadcasting Corporation
Posted for Fair Use only.