Syria supported embassy attacks in cartoons row Tuesday, 28 December 2010 02:52

OSLO: Syria backed attacks on Scandinavian embassies in Damascus as violent protests erupted in early 2006 over the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), according to newly-leaked US government cables.

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri “instructed the Grand Mufti Sheikh Hassoun to issue a strongly worded directive to the imams delivering Friday sermons in the mosques of Damascus without setting any ceilings on the type of language to be used,” a cable from the US embassy in Damascus read.

The document was obtained by WikiLeaks and published yesterday in English by Norwegian daily Aftenposten.

The information in the cable was provided to US officials in Syria by “one of the most influential Sunni religious figures in Damascus,” whose name is erased in the cable.

The religious figure told US officials the Syrian government had “allowed the rioting to continue for an extended period” and reacted with serious threats of force to stop it when it felt that “the message had been delivered.”

“This is what you will have if we allow true democracy and allow Islamists to rule,” was Damascus’ message to the West in doing so, the unnamed religious official told the US embassy.

But at the same time, the Syrian government wanted to show it was “protecting the dignity of Islam” and “allowing Muslims freedom on the streets of Damascus they are not allowed on the streets of Cairo, Amman or Tunis,” the cable said.

On February 4, 2006, the embassies of Norway and Denmark — which housed the Swedish and Chilean missions — in Damascus were set on fire by protesters voicing their anger at the publication of 12 caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) by a Danish daily.

Copenhagen had recalled its ambassador to protest the lack of protection given to the embassy by Syrian officials.