Religious insults will spark more violence, says Iran's Khatami

Western-style free speech that allowed the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in Europe will lead to more violence between Muslims and Westerners, former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami warned today.

Khatami, who is in Malaysia to attend a conference on Islam and the West, also said Muslims worldwide were fed up with violence and extremism in the name of religion and were ready for democratic governments which wanted scientific progress.