German far-right group launches Muhammad cartoon contest
ISTANBUL
German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich (C) addresses a German Islam Conference in Berlin, April 19, 2012. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz
A German far-right group has announced that it was starting its own “Muhammad Cartoon Contest,” daily Hürriyet reported.The group, previously best known for opposing the construction of new mosques in Germany, plans to exhibit the submitted cartoons in front of mosques.
Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich warned the public that a possible outbreak of tension between the far right group and Salafi Muslims may disturb the public order. Security forces have been warned of the possibility of this by the relevant authorities, according to the German daily Spiegel.
The visual depiction of the Prophet Muhammad is strictly forbidden in Islam. Similar crises have erupted in recent years in several European countries, including France and Denmark, when cartoons or drawings depicting Muhammad have been published to public outcry.
