Iran protests Lithuanian paper running Muhammad cartoons

Lithuania has stepped up to the plate--even though they don't play baseball there--as the Respublika newspaper there reprinted the Danish Muhammad cartoons, the Baltic Times reports.

The Iranian government is upset about it--of course, it doesn't take a heck of a lot to upset the Islamic regime in Iran.

From the Baltic Times:

The (foreign) ministry stated in a press release that it had received a note from Iran saying that the cartoons, which first appeared in Denmark and have since been reproduced in several European publications, including Lithuania’s Respublika on Feb. 8, have drawn an angry response from Muslims around the world.

The note also said that Muslims cherish their own values, while respecting the prophets and saints of all religions, the ministry reported. The Islamic Republic stated that freedom of the press should not be used as an excuse for insulting other people’s religious beliefs.

In response, the Foreign Ministry said it respected all people’s religious feelings, but did not vindicate actions aimed at restricting freedom of the press, so it rejected the accusations against Lithuania.

Someone needs to remind the mullahs in Iran that newspapers in a free society are not controlled by the government.

Technorati tags: Lithuania Baltics Jyllands Posten Mohammed Muslim Islam Lietuva Iran ايران الإسلام سی