Cartoons caricaturing Prophet Muhammed () in the Danish and Norwegian Press provoked boycotts and angry protests across the Muslim world yesterday as interior ministers from 17 Arab countries called on the Danish government to punish the authors.

"The council of Arab interior ministers strongly denounce the offence to Islam and the Prophet () published in the Danish Press and ask the Danish government to firmly punish the authors of these offences," the council said in a statement after a meeting in the Tunisian capital.

At the meeting, his Saudi counterpart and Arab Interior Ministers' Council honorary president Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud called on other Arab countries to recall their ambassadors from Copenhagen. Saudi Arabia recalled its representative last week. Bahrain was represented by Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.

Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa said that the European Press "fears being accused of anti-Semitism but invokes freedom of expression when it caricatures Islam".

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen expressed alarm at the wave of Muslim anger and said his government considered the growing dispute "extremely serious". "Our diplomats are currently attempting to repair the misunderstandings," he said.

The ministers' meeting also condemned all forms of terrorism, calling for international legislations to close websites instigating terror or manufacture of explosives. They vowed to cut its sources of financing.

PHOTO CAPTION

Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen answers questions during a news conference outside his office in the Parliament building in Copenhagen January 31, 2006. (REUTERS)