Morocco Bars French Magazine Issue On Relationship of Christianity and Islam

Moroccan Information Minister Khalid Naciri says the Moroccan government has banned the current issue of the French magazine L'Express International. According to an AP report yesterday, the step was taken under the press code (Code de la Presse, Art. 29) that allows the government to ban any publication offensive to Islam or the king. The offending issue contained articles exploring the relationship between Islam and Christianity. The cover was titled "The Jesus-Muhammad Shock." Editors of the magazine said they had gone to lengths to try to abide by Islamic norms in the Moroccan edition, cloaking the face of Muhammad with a white veil in a cover picture that also featured Jesus. In the edition on sale in France, Muhammad's face was not covered. A report on the L'Express website shows photos of both versions of the cover.