UK News
British Muslim found guilty over anti-cartoon protests
By DPA
Mar 7, 2007, 15:43 GMT

London - A British Muslim at the forefront of demonstrations a year ago against allegedly offensive cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed was Wednesday found guilty of soliciting to murder.

Abdul Muhid, a 24-year-old halal meat inspector, denied the charges during proceedings at the Old Bailey Criminal Court in London.

He was remanded in custody Wednesday and is due to be sentenced later.

Muhid was said to be one of the organizers of the protest in central London on 3 February 2006, when hundreds of demonstrators marched from the main mosque in Regent's Park to the Danish Embassy.

The cartoons, which sparked worldwide Muslim protests, were first published in Denmark.

The court heard that at the London protest the slogans included 'annihilate those who insult Islam', and 'Bomb, bomb the UK.'

The cartoons were never reprinted in Britain.

Prosecutor David Perry said that, rather than being a demonstration against the cartoon publications, the protests were aimed at giving 'encouragement to terrorism.'

But Muhid said the protests were meant to show the 'hurt and distress' felt by Muslims over the drawings.