Muslim protesters torch Buddhist temples, homes in Bangladesh

Stringer  /  REUTERS

A temple burnt by Muslims is seen in Cox's Bazar September 30, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer

COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh - Hundreds of Muslims in Bangladesh burned at least four Buddhist temples and 15 homes of Buddhists on Sunday after complaining that a Buddhist man had insulted Islam, police and residents said.

Members of the Buddhist minority in the Cox's Bazar area in the southeast of the country said unidentified people were bent on upsetting peaceful relations between Muslims and Buddhists.
Muslims took to the streets in the area late on Saturday to protest against what they said was a photograph posted on Facebook that insulted Islam.
The protesters said the picture had been posted by a Buddhist, and they marched to Buddhist villages and set fire to temples and houses.
Police said they had deployed extra security forces and banned gatherings in Buddhist-dominated areas.
"We brought the situation under control before dawn and imposed restrictions on public gatherings," said Salim Mohammad Jahangir, district police superintendent for Cox's Bazar.
Many people in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh have been angered in recent days by a film made in California that mocked the Prophet.

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