15 killed in protests on Muslim ‘day of love’

Muslim protests against insults to the Prophet Mohammed turned violent in Pakistan, where at least 15 people were killed yesterday, the Muslim day of prayer, but remained mostly peaceful in other Islamic countries.

Pakistan declared yesterday a “day of love” for the Prophet and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said an attack on Islam’s founder was “an attack on the whole 1.5 billion Muslims”.

In France, where the publication of cartoons denigrating the Prophet stoked anger over an anti-Islam video made in California, the authorities banned all protests over the issue.