Protests that started after the publication of satirical cartoons of Prophet Mohammed by a Danish newspaper continue to spread day by day.
Re-prints of the cartoons in the European press fueled the reactions that began with an economic boycott on Danish goods.
After the Danish and Norwegian embassies were set on fire in the Syrian capital Damascus, the Danish consulate building in Lebanese capital Beirut was also torched.
The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, condemned the burning of the embassies and called for calm and common sense.
Ihsanoglu warned if peaceful actions turn into extreme acts of violence, it will damage the efforts the Muslim world has been exerting to defend a legitimate case.
The United Nations (UN) asked for help from the OIC to overcome the crisis.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called Ihsanoglu and discussed possible solutions.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the solution is not to ravage or devastate. "The solution is found at the table, in diplomacy. There can be no solution with the use of weapons. This is already the aim of those that want a clash of civilization."
The Arab League called the OIC to attend an emergency meeting and asked Muslims to show some restraint.
Ihsanoglu, condemned the burning of the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus, in a written statement warned: "We do not approve of these wrong and distressing incidents. Extreme reactions exceeding the limits of peaceful democratic actions are dangerous and damage the Muslim world's efforts to defend a legitimate case."
Reactions against the cartoons continue in the diplomatic arena as well.
After Saudi Arabia and Libya, Iran also withdrew its ambassador to Denmark.
Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said they will no longer allow Danish journalists to enter Iran.
Demonstrations in protest against the publication of the cartoons were held in Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq and Belgium yesterday.
Denmark seeks help
Lebanese Interior Minister Hasan al-Saba resigned after the Danish embassy building in the capital Beirut was set on fire and some properties in the Christian neighborhood were damaged.
Norway announced they will take the issue of failing to protect the Norwegian embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, to the United Nations.
After its embassies in Beirut and Damascus were burned, Denmark asked Arab leaders to help prevent the escalating rage caused by the cartoons outraging the Islamic world.
Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller at a news briefing yesterday said the Danish government asked the political and religious leaders of all related countries to call on the public to refrain from violence and remain calm.
The European Union Common Foreign Policy and Security High Representative, Javier Solana, also asked all related parties to exert every effort to bring the situation back to its normal track. Solana, harshly condemning the attacks and threats, said the repetition of these acts of violence will only harm the peaceful image of Islam.
In a statement on Sunday, EU Term President Austria condemned setting fire to the embassy buildings and the attack against the United Nations bureaus in Palestine. The EU demanded authorities take the necessary precautions to protect Europeans and their property.
After the cartoon outrage in Damascus, Sweden called the Syrian ambassador to Stockholm to the Foreign Ministry to protest the attacks. The Danish foreign minister in a similar act called his Syrian counterpart, Faruk Shara, to convey that it is unacceptable of the Syrians to fail to protect the embassy building.
Another announcement from Europe came from German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Serinmeier. The minister expressed concerns about the protests, boycotts, and violence caused by the publication of the insulting cartoons in Denmark and Norway. Although there is no clash of civilization, he added, the parties involved are moving away from dialogue.
Freedom of press is one of the most important rights, Steinmeier stressed, but to insult a certain religious group does not contribute to mutual agreements. Freedom of the press should also be maintained responsibly. Germany will not accept the calls for violence against either Europeans or European institutions, the minister said, as he expressed his contentment for the reactions many Muslim organizations showed against the calls for violence.
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark also condemned the re-printing of the cartoons provoking Muslims. Running re-prints could force a country to face economic sanctions, she warned.
