Outrage Over Jesus Cartoon in Malaysia Updated: W/Cartoon

Bar the doors... Hide the children...

The outraged Christian rioters ought to be rampaging in the streets of Malaysia any second now-- torching buildings, burning effigies...

Some members of the minority religious groups want the Makkal Osai newspaper closed for carrying a controversial Jesus cartoon.

The BBC reported:

A Malaysian newspaper is facing calls to shut down after it published an image of Jesus holding a cigarette and what appeared to be a can of beer.

Malaysia's Muslim-led government closed two publications last year for carrying controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Now some members of Malaysia's minority religions say they want the same treatment over this latest incident.

Religion is a famously sensitive subject in Malaysia.

So when Tamil-language newspaper, Makkal Osai, published a picture on its front page apparently showing Jesus smoking and drinking it was bound to cause offence.

Christian groups said that although the Jesus of the Bible was a compassionate figure - who turned water into wine, shared a flagon with his disciples at the Last Supper and mixed with tax collectors and prostitutes - action should still be taken.

The paper has since issued an apology, explaining that a graphics editor had mistakenly taken the image from the internet. Most of Malaysia's churches appear to have been appeased.

The newspapaer Makkal Osai said they were sorry to the archbishop over the cartoon.

UPDATE: Here is a copy of the cartoon that the Tamil People's Daily (Makkal Osai) posted:

The graphics editor must have been blind or asleep to say that he had "mistakenly taken the image" from the internet.

UPDATE: (Friday) Makkal Osai was suspended... for one month.