As many as 3,000 Muslims protesters flocked outside the gates of Downing Street to voice disapproval against the depictions of the blasphemous cartoon in Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine.
The protest at Downing Street comes as Prince Charles voiced his apprehension both at the radicalisation of scores of young British Muslims and the pestering of Christians in the Middle East.
The crowds many of whom were divided into groups of men and women, gathered close to 10 Downing Street holding placards with slogans including ‘stand up for the prophet (PBUH)’ and ‘insult my mum and I will PUNCH you’.
Muslim leaders addressed the crowd from a platform outside the Ministry of Defence, with the message “Be careful with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)”.
Muslim Action Forum organized the meeting said that the Charlie Hebdo cartoons had helped “sow the seeds of hatred” and had smashed up community relations.
One of the protesters, as a way of expressing disapproval over the cartoons said, “There are no pictures of the beloved Prophet,” he told the Derby Telegraph, “and trying to make their own view of him is incorrect and offensive to the Muslim community. For us, it is blasphemy.”
A leaflet circulated by the Muslim Action Forum said depictions of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) by Charlie Hebdo and others was “a stark reminder” that freedom of speech was “regularly utilised to insult personalities that others consider sacred”.
Protesters hand petition signed by over 100,000 British Muslims to Downing St.