Pakistan minister offers bounty for anti-Islam film maker's head, govt distances itself

A Pakistani minister on Saturday offered $100,000 to anyone who kills the maker of an online video which insults Islam, evoking sharp criticism from the PM’s spokesman Shafqat Jalil. The government ‘absolutely disassociated’ itself from comments by Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, said Jalil from Islamabad.

"I announce today that this blasphemer, this sinner who has spoken nonsense about the holy Prophet, anyone who murders him, I will reward him with $100,000," Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour told a news conference, to an applause.

"I invite the Taliban brothers and the al Qaeda brothers to join me in this blessed mission." A spokesman for Pakistan's prime minister said the government disassociated itself from the minister's statement. While many Muslim countries saw mostly peaceful protests on Friday, 15 people were killed in Pakistan during demonstrations over the video.

People involved in the film, an amateurish 13-minute clip of which was posted on YouTube, have said it was made by a 55-year-old California man, Nakoula Basseley, who has not returned to his home in the suburb of Cerritos, Los Angeles, since leaving voluntarily to be interviewed by federal authorities. His family has since gone into hiding.

Showing continued nervousness among Western governments, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called on Muslim countries to protect foreign embassies. "The governments in host countries have the unconditional obligation to protect foreign missions. If that doesn't happen, we will emphatically criticise that and if it still doesn't happen it won't go without consequences," he told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday.

Germany's embassy in Sudan was stormed on September 14 as was the US mission in the capital Khartoum where there were deadly clashes between police and protesters against the film.

Militia Ousted In Benghazi

In the Libyan city of Benghazi, a crowd forced out an Islamist militia some US officials blame for a deadly attack on the US . consulate during one of the first protests, on September 11.

Ansar al-Sharia, which denies it was involved in the attack that killed US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, quit the city after its base was stormed by Libyans angry at armed groups that control parts of the country.

That might go some way to vindicate US President Barack Obama's faith in Libya's nascent democracy where Ambassador Christopher Stevens had worked to help rebels oust Muammar Gaddafi only to be killed in a surge of anti-Americanism.