Sierra Leone Muslims hold protest against cartoons

FREETOWN, Mar 19 (Reuters) Several thousand Muslims in Sierra Leone held a rally in the national sports stadium today to protest against cartoons published in Europe depicting the Prophet Mohammad.

Many Muslims consider the cartoons, first published in Denmark last year, blasphemous. The drawings sparked widespread demonstrations, some violent, across the Muslim world after they were reprinted in European papers earlier this year.

''We want the world to know that we, the Muslims of Sierra Leone, strongly disapprove and condemn the blasphemous act of cartooning the Holy Prophet Mohammad,'' said Mohamed Alpha Barie, the head of Sierra Leone's Muslim Union.

He told the 6,000 protesters at the peaceful rally that the Danish newspaper editor who originally published the cartoons was a 'pagan'' who should be prosecuted by Denmark's government.

At least 50 people were killed in violent protests against the cartoons in Asia and the west asia, Danish embassies were attacked and many Muslims boycotted Danish goods.

Protests by Muslims in West Africa have generally been peaceful, except those held in Nigeria.

REUTERS SY RN2239