Press Release - Date of Release: 07 February 2006

Arg, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, received a phone call from H.E. Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway this afternoon.

The President and the Prime Minister discussed the blasphemous cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), which was published in some European newspapers.

Prime Minister Stoltenberg expressed his regret at this unfortunate incident and his concern at today's demonstrations in Faryab province of Afghanistan which involved an attack on Norwegian soldiers operating under the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT).

The President strongly condemned the blasphemous cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad and expressed his regret at the unfortunate incident in the province of Faryab and said, “The people of Afghanistan realize that European soldiers serving in Afghanistan have nothing to do with the publishing of the blasphemous cartoons and it is the responsibility of the people of Afghanistan to ensure the security of the international soldiers who are helping the people of Afghanistan with stability and reconstruction.”

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Released by the Office of the Spokesman to the President
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan