DAMASCUS, Feb. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- France has apologized for the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad in some French newspapers, the official SANA news agency reported on Tuesday.

    "We in France understand that these publications are raising Muslims' anger and that attacking any people's faith lacks any feelings of responsibility," said French ambassador to Syria Jean-Francios Girault in a meeting with Syrian Minister of Religious Trusts Ziyad al-Ayoubi.

    "We therefore call for reason to prevail and to decrease tension against what happened," he added.

    For his part, Ayoubi said that it was the people's right to protest over what insults their religious belief in a peaceful way, but that it was not the right to violate the laws, religions and ethics.

    He also called for cooperation in issuing an international law prohibiting offenses against religious symbols of all religions.

    Meanwhile, Norwegian ambassador in Damascus Svein Sevje  denounced the publication of cartoons defaming the Prophet Mohammad in some Norwegian press.

    During a meeting with Syria's Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Badreddin Hassoun, the ambassador said the Norwegian people and government denounce the offense to the Islamic world.

    The 12 caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad initially published in a Danish daily last September and reprinted recently in Norway and several other European countries sparked widespread protests in the Islamic world, as any depiction of the Prophet is considered blasphemous by Muslims.

    Angry Syrian demonstrators torched Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus last Saturday.

    Syrian riot police dispersed the protestors on their way to the French embassy.

    The Syrian Foreign Ministry expressed regret on Sunday "over the violent acts which accompanied the protests and caused material damages at some embassies" in Damascus.  Enditem