France closes schools abroad after cartoons of Mohammed

France will close embassies and schools in 20 countries tomorrow (Friday) over fears of violence after a weekly satirical magazine published cartoons of a naked Prophet Mohammed.

The cartoons in Charlie Hebdo provoked angry condemnation in the Muslim world, where violence over a crudely made anti-Islam film has resulted in dozens of deaths in recent days.

The French government said it would close many embassies, consulates, cultural centres and international schools, which could be targeted in demonstrations following weekly Muslim prayers.

French schools in Tunisia, home to 30,000 expatriates have already been closed until Monday, while schools and cultural centres in Egypt will close today.

Riot police yesterday took up positions outside the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo. Its former headquarters was firebombed last November after an issue called Sharia Hebdo featured Mohammed as "guest editor". The real editor has been under police protection ever since.

The magazine's website was down yesterday. Staff said it had been hacked.

A Pakistan-based group calling itself the Guardian of Honour of the Prophet, SAW claimed responsibility. "We don't promote violence, instead we peacefully put the down the website that had posted blasphemous content," it said in a statement sent to a technology website.

The magazine's current issue carries numerous cartoons mocking Salafists and the film Innocence of Muslims, which triggered worldwide protests since its online release. But Muslim anger was directed against four cartoons clearly depicting Mohammed.

One features the Prophet naked, asking, "Do you like my bottom?" - a line delivered by Brigitte Bardot in Jean-Luc Godard's 1963 film Contempt.

Another shows the founder of Islam crouched on all fours with a star covering his behind and the inscription "A Star Is Born".

The initial print run of 75,000 had sold out by mid-afternoon amid reports of people ripping up numerous copies in the street. More will be on sale tomorrow.

Religious leaders in France and abroad warned that the cartoons were likely to inflame tensions.

The Vatican's official daily, Osservatore Romano, said the cartoons risked adding "more fuel to the fire after the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi".

Sunni Islam's highest authority, the Al-Azhar mosque, said the caricatures were "offensive to Islam and its Prophet, the prophet of humanity".

The magazine's editor, who uses the name Charb, said that it mocked all religions and extremists with equal zeal and denied that the timing was particularly provocative.

"The world context will never be favourable to having a laugh at the expense of radical Islam or religion in general," he said.

"We are provocateurs; we are wearing a miniskirt but who is guilty: the person in the miniskirt or the rapist?" he asked.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, the prime minister, said anyone offended by the cartoons could sue the magazine, after expressing his "disapproval of all excesses".

But Francois Fillon, the Right-wing former prime minister, said: "I defend Charlie Hebdo, I defend the freedom of expression and I think we mustn't give an inch of ground on this front".