MANY Muslims are upset and angry over French magazine Charlie Hebdo’s use of a new cartoon of Prophet Mohammed on its front cover this week, according to local Islamic leaders.

But they have strongly condemned the killing of journalists at the Paris satirical publication, as four of victims of the violence were buried yesterday.

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Despite the upset of local Muslims, community leaders said the faithful in East Lancashire would not react violently and were appalled at the murder spree in France last week which saw the killing of 17 people, including four Jewish customers at a supermarket and and two police officers.

Three terrorists, brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi and Amedy Coulibaly, who were allegedly inspired by al Qaida and Islamic State, also died in gun battles.

Yesterday friends and family paid last respects to cartoonists Bernard Verlhac, known as Tignous, and Georges Wolinski, as well as a columnist and a policeman.

Pope Francis condemned the attacks but said there were limits to freedom of expression and people’s faith should not be insulted.

Earlier French President Francois Hollande vowed to protect Muslims following retaliatory attacks against Islamic sites around France.

He has ordered the deployment of thousands of troops and police to boost security in the wake of last week’s attacks.

East Lancashire Muslim reaction to the events has been condemnation of the terrorist massacres combined with upset at the continued publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. The depiction of the Prophet in any art form is forbidden in Islam.

The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Julian Henderson has welcomed their ‘turning of the other cheek’ to the cartoons and condemnation and rejection of violence.

Asian Image columnist and East Lancashire lawyer Adnan Khan said: “The vast majority of Muslims agree 100 per cent with the condemnation of the horrific and violent massacre, this vigilante justice.

“This is not in any way allowed in Islam.

“This killing of journalists at Charlie Hebdo was a criminal act for political reasons by terrorists.

“We support freedom of speech but there are caveats.

“Many people would be offended by cartoons of Mohammed, of Jesus in pornographic situations, of the the Prophet with a bomb for a turban. (all images in Charlie Hebdo) “There is a need to show mutual respect to other people’s beliefs and religions.

“We should show respect and due deference to the differences which define us. We don’t bring up our children to insult others.”

Pendle council Labour group leader Mohammed Iqbal said: “Everyone is horrified by what happened in Paris and condemns the claim it is done in the name of our religion.

“It was pure terrorism and has no place in Islam which is religion of peace and tolerance.

“Most Muslims in East Lancashire would have been angry and upset by the publication of the cartoons, which were more than just representations of the prophet. But they reacted with peace and tolerance. The will do the same to the new cartoons and get on with their lives here. I am not happy about the cartoons but it is no justification for the massacre which has backfired on those responsible.”

Zaffer Khan, of Blackburn community group ‘One Voice’, said: “I and local Muslims are upset at the cartoon and the new one on the front of Charlie Hebdo. It just adds fuel to the fire.

“We are united in condemnation of the massacre which was atrocious and appalling.

“But I don’t see a violent response here and indeed the reaction on social media suggest good thing may come out of it.

“They may not like it but they are tolerant of it.”

Bishop Julian said: “The attacks in Paris, including the despicable shootings at the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices, are deeply disturbing. To attempt to silence free speech in such a way cannot be supported.

“I also have great sympathy with Muslims who are upset by the satirical cartoons of the prophet Mohammed, as his portrayal is not permitted in any form. It must be very difficult for them to endure such caricatures of their faith and their Prophet and I can empathise greatly.

“Jesus Christ has also been portrayed in many similar ways over the years which have been equally upsetting to many Christians.

“I am pleased that, despite their feelings, the vast majority of Muslims have joined the chorus of condemnation of the shootings, have turned the other cheek in relation to the magazine’s latest portrayal of their Prophet on its cover, and have discouraged any reaction of violence.

“In this case violence has only made the magazine Charlie Hebdo more widely known, with a circulation of the current copy in the millions compared to the 60,000 it had last week.

“That is certainly not the outcome the terrorists would have anticipated or wanted.”

Faz Patel MBE, a community cohesion expert from Shear Brow, Blackburn, said: “The pictures are offensive to the Muslim community, but freedom of speech is important.

“We have excellent community relations in Lancashire and we need to make sure that the events in Paris do not divide communities.

“I believe we need to understand each other’s faiths.”

Al-Qaeda has said it had directed the Charlie Hebdo attack.

In a separate development yesterday, the French government announced that a Malian employee of the attacked Jewish supermarket would be given French citizenship.

Some 300,000 people signed an online petition calling for the move after the employee, Lassana Bathily, hid several customers from the gunman in a cold store.

Charlie Hebdo published a new edition on Wednesday, with an image on the cover showing the Prophet weeping while holding a sign saying “I am Charlie”, and below the headline “All is forgiven”.

Mr Hollande declared Charlie Hebdo magazine ‘reborn’ after the magazine sold out in hours.

But some Muslims were angered by the edition and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu condemned it yesterday as an ‘open provocation’.

A handful of copies of the magazine are expected to be available in the UK by the end of the week, with newsagents bracing themselves for a rush.