(Newser)
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France is on lockdown today after a satirical French newspaper published cartoons of the prophet Mohammed—including at least one featuring the prophet naked, reports ABC News. Fearing reprisals, Paris has closed embassies in 20 countries, reports the Jerusalem Post. The caricatures in the cheeky weekly Charlie Hebdo make fun of the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims and the uproar surrounding it. The cover features the prophet being pushed in a wheelchair by an Orthodox Jew under the title Untouchables 2, in reference to a popular French movie featuring a friendship in France between a disabled white man and his black helper.
The last time Charlie Hebdo printed an image of Mohammed as a "guest editor" on its cover, its Paris office was firebombed. French government officials have criticized the decision to print the images just as Innocence of Muslims has sparked angry protests in some 20 nations, reports the Herald Sun. Officials didn't try to block publication of the caricatures, but have barred a Saturday protest against the film, reports the AP. Paris police have stepped up security at Charlie Hebdo's offices and around the city, where the top cleric in the largest mosque is already appealing for calm. France is home to Europe's largest Muslim population.
