20 000 flock to 'divine calf'
2006-02-14 16:20
Cairo - Thousands of people flocked to southern Egypt on Monday to seek a blessing from a calf they believe was born as God's reply to the publication in Europe of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, said police.
About 20 000 people had gathered in front of Mohammed Abu Dif's house in the village of Tunis to see the holy animal, whose skin folds when he was born reportedly formed the words "There is no God but Allah", said a police official on condition of anonymity.
He said the villagers flocked from all over the southern governorate of Sohag to the farmer's house and had to be dispersed by police, who feared the gathering could get out of control.
Witnesses said they believed the calf was "Allah's response to attacks against Islam", said the official.
He was referring to the publication in a Danish daily five months ago of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
Some of the caricatures portrayed Muhammad as a terrorist and have since been reprinted in scores of other European newspapers, sparking an unprecedented outcry in Muslim countries.
Tens of thousands of Muslims across the world have held demonstrations to protest against the cartoons, call for a boycott of Danish products and demand their countries sever ties with Denmark.
- SAPA