AMMAN, Jordan: As big demonstrations against insulting cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (p) in European newspapers are being held across the world, a Jordanian weekly took the bold step of publishing three of the 12 Danish blasphemous caricatures, resulting in the dismissal of the weekly's chief editor and a government threat of legal action.

The government condemned Shihan’s reproduction of the cartoons and said the paper had “committed a grave mistake and should apologize immediately.”
Chief Editor of the Arabic Shihan, Jihad al-Momani, said that he reprinted the cartoons to show readers "the extent of the Danish offence."
 
But a Shihan editorial -- signed by al-Momani and entitled "Muslims of the world, be reasonable" -- also questioned what sparked the Muslim uproar now, months after the cartoons were first published in September.

Hours later, Shihan's owner -- the Arab Publishers Company -- fired al-Momani for the reprints, saying the editor caused a "shock to the firm and those responsible for it," the official Petra news agency reported. It said the firm withdrew the weekly's edition from the market and opened an investigation to determine if other staff were involved.
 
Al-Momani editorial pointed out that the Danish paper, Jyllands-Posten, had apologized, "but for some reason, nobody in the Muslim world wants to hear the apology." "Who offends Islam more? A foreigner who endeavors to draw the Prophet as described by his followers in the world, or a Muslim armed with an explosive belt who commits suicide in a wedding party in Amman or anywhere else," the editorial said.
 
Meanwhile, Washington on Friday condemned caricatures in European newspapers, siding with Muslims who are outraged that the publications put press freedom over respect for religion.