A Gallup newspaper is facing heat after it became the first paper in the state to publish a controversial cartoon that had led to violence elsewhere.
The Gallup Independent published two cartoons poking fun at Mohammed, the prophet of Islam.
Jamal Jawad, who is Muslim, said he supports freedom of the press, but doesn’t support the paper’s decision.
"The newspaper just wants publicity for its own purposes," he said. "It just leads to a troubled atmosphere in town."
While it has been a mostly peaceful situation in Gallup, the newspaper has already seen some vandalism. Someone threw rocks into the business, marked with demands for a "public apology or else."
That drew ire from local Muslims who want a peaceful discussion.
"I don’t want anything with violence," said Salim Khalid. He said he’d like to see discussion so people can understand each other’s points of view.
Of Gallup’s 22,000 residents, 200 are Muslim.
The publisher of the Gallup Independent refused to comment on the story.
