ISTANBUL: The Organisat-ion of the Islamic Confere-nce yesterday denounced the reprinting of a Danish cartoon of Prophet Mohammed, warning it could lead to confrontations between Muslims and Christians.

"By reprinting these cartoons we are heading toward a bigger conflict and that shows that both sides will be hostages of their radicals," OIC secretary-general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said.

"It is not a way of improving your rights and exercising your freedoms when you use these rights for insulting the most sacred values and symbols of others and inciting hatred," he said. "This is a very wrong, provocative way - unacceptable."

Hundreds of people in the Gaza Strip joined a Hamas rally protesting against the reprinting of the cartoon. MP Yussef Sharafi called on the Danish government to "apologise to Muslims for the offence to the Prophet."

Hundreds of students protested in Pakistani cities, setting fire to Danish flags and demanding the ambassador's expulsion. The Danish foreign ministry has advised its nationals to avoid travelling to Pakistan following the protests.