Zaria- based Islamic scholar and leader of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, has described as ridiculous and totally unacceptable, the apology tendered by the Danish government for the blasphemous cartoon on the holy prophet of Islam.

Sheikh Zakzaky who called on global Muslims to rise against the blasphemy and reject the apology, argued that "in Islam, there is atonement for every sin committed by man and the atonement for blaspheming the prophet of Islam- Muhammad (SAWA) and indeed any other prophet of Allah including Jesus Christ, is not apology."

Leader of the Islamic movement who stated this yesterday while addressing hundreds of thousands of Muslims who converged in the ancient city of Zaria from different parts of the country to protest the blasphemous publication, stressed that, "If Denmark truly wants the Muslim world to forgive her for this grievous crime, she should apprehend and punish the culprits appropriately".

On the claim by Denmark and their collaborators that the cartoon was in line with the freedom of speech, Shaikh Zakzaky berated holders of such views pointing out that, "If the so called freedom of speech in Europe and the West means tolerating madness and blasphemy in everything including their religion, the reverse is the case in Islam.

"If Europe and the West take their religion, if they have any at all, for a joke, we (Muslims) take Islam seriously and that is why we do not always hesitate in coming out to condemn whoever that touches our prophet and the religion he brought to mankind-Islam", Zakzaky cautioned.

He regretted that the Western World has been devising different kinds of plots to ridicule Islam and its adherents, who are the only viable alternative to their soon- to- be old fashion system of governance.

"They have for long been disguising under the freedom of speech to mock Islam and Muslims. The time to check this mess has come and it is either Muslims ignore the trivial differences among them and unite to protect their faith or watch their enemies destroy them and their faith." he warmed.

The demonstration which was organized under the auspices of the Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky-led Islamic movement in Nigeria, coincided with the movement's annual peaceful Ashura demonstration which is usually marked all over the world to mourn the brutal killing of the grandson of Holy of the prophet of Islam, Imam Hussain and his followers at Karbala.

Sheikh Zakzaky who called on global Muslims to wake up from their long slumber and face the challenges of defending Islam which is today called terrorism and its followers terrorists, noted that this can only be done by emulating the spirit of sacrifice demonstrated by Imam Hussain and his followers.

"It is only by emulating the spirit of sacrifice of this grandson of the holy prophet of Islam that we can liberate ourselves and our religion from the attacks of the western world", he noted.

The demonstrators, who took over, for several hours, the ever busy and major roads in the ancient city, were chanting anti-Danish, anti-American and anti-Israel; slogans, took off from the Friday mosque of Sabongari through Tudun Wada to Kofan-Doka, Zaria, where the demonstration terminated peacefully.

"Death to Denmark! Death to Norway! Death to France! Death to Germany! Death to Italy! Death to Spain! Death to Netherlands! Death to America! Death to Israel!, were some of the slogans that were chanted by the demonstrators.