Denmark's ambassador returning to Syria

COPENHAGEN, Feb 24 (Reuters) Denmark's ambassador to Syria is expected to return to Damascus on Sunday, almost three weeks after angry Muslims set the embassy on fire in protest against cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed printed by a Danish newspaper.

''Denmark's ambassador to Syria will arrive early on Sunday to Damascus to reopen the embassy as soon as possible,'' Denmark's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

On February 4, several thousand Syrian demonstrators stormed Denmark's embassy; throwing stones, burning the Danish flag and torched the building in an uproar over the cartoons, which have been reprinted in other European papers.

Many Muslims believe it is blasphemous to depict the Prophet.

Earlier this month, Denmark's embassy in Lebanon was also set on fire and the Danish envoys to Indonesia and Iran had to leave for security reasons after the embassies were attacked by demonstrators.

Denmark's envoy returned to Jakarta earlier this week.

REUTERS SBJ KN2044