WEST BANK: International observers withdraw from Hebron after Palestinians attack their headquarters over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed

Record ID: 565443

  • Title: WEST BANK: International observers withdraw from Hebron after Palestinians attack their headquarters over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed
  • Date: 8th February 2006
  • Summary: SECURITY PERSONNEL AND TIPH EMPLOYEES GATHERED OUTSIDE BUILDING GUARDS
  • Embargoed: 23rd February 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA52809HO77FYDV7DX7PYOXEHGO
  • Story Text: Several hundred Palestinian youths chased Danish and Norwegian workers out of the West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday (February 8) in protest over the Danish publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that have outraged the Arab and Muslim world.
    The international monitoring team -- the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) -- said it was leaving the city temporarily after the attack on their headquarters.
    The organisation's head, Terfik Tiriski, said all his employees would go.
    "I just want to tell you that we are leaving temporarily because of the damages of this whole... and the situation in general. Then we, during the day, we will leave to another place," he said.
    An estimated 400 protesters hurled stones at the building, smashing windows and telephones.
    Some members of the civilian force took to the roof and waved the mission's flag as about 100 Palestinian police were deployed below to protect them. Most of the employees fled the building.
    Palestinian police forces fired live ammunition in the air to break up the protest. Later, Israeli troops swarmed into the area to guard the foreign workers. The troops fired tear gas and dispersed the crowd.
    At least one Palestinian youth was detained by Palestinian security forces and taken for questioning.
    TIPH workers, most of whom are Danish and Norwegian, were sent to Hebron in 1994 as international observers after Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein shot dead 29 Palestinian muslim worshippers at a mosque.
    Their mandate is to monitor and report "efforts to maintain normal life" in the city.
    Despite his support in anti-European protests, Hamas leader in Hebron Na'ef Rajoub, condemned the attack on TIPH's offices.
    "In the name of God, there is no doubt that insulting our Prophet Muhammad is a crime, and it hurts the Muslims' feelings, so this has created a reaction. These reactions became violent and resulted in breaking TIPH's windows and this is not accepted and not allowed," Na'ef Rejoub said.
    A wave of anger has swept the Muslim world over the publication of the cartoons, one of which shows the Prophet Mohammad wearing a turban shaped like a bomb. Muslims have denounced the caricatures as an insult to Islam.
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