Obama accused of sparking a religious war

Published on 27/09/2012 00:00

One of Pakistan’s most feared Islamists has accused US president Barack Obama of starting a religious war against Muslims over his handling of a video mocking the Prophet Mohammad.

Hafiz Saeed, accused by India of masterminding the 2008 attack by Pakistani gunmen on Mumbai, said Mr Obama should have ordered steps to remove the film from the internet instead of defending freedom of expression in the United States.

“Obama’s statements have caused a religious war,” Saeed said yesterday.

“This is not going to be resolved soon. Obama’s statement has started a cultural war.”

The Obama administration has condemned the film, which ignited Muslim protests around the world, as “disgusting”.

“Obama has said he cannot block the film,” said Saeed. “What does that say?”

Saeed said the US should take tough action against the makers of the film. “If not, then hand them to us,” he said in Islambad.

India has repeatedly called on Pakistan to bring Saeed to justice, an issue that has stood in the way of rebuilding relations between the two nuclear-armed nations since the carnage in Mumbai, where gunmen killed 166 people over three days.

Saeed, who has a $10 million US bounty on his head, denies any wrongdoing.