DOHA, February 26, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) - The United Nations, Arab states and the world's largest Islamic body on Saturday, February 25, urged respect for all religions, regretting the publication of Danish cartoons that lampooned Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

"We deeply regret the offence given by the caricatures," said a joint declaration issued in the Qatari capital city of Doha by UN Secretary of State Kofi Annan and the heads of the Arab League and the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference, who were also at the meeting.

The parties concerned pledged to adopt a common strategy to head off a repeat of the cartoons crisis, stressing the importance of responsible media and free speech as long as it is not used as a pretext to incite hatred, blasphemy or violence.

It called for enhancing dialogue, pinning high hopes on a Sunday meeting of the UN-backed Alliance of Civilizations in Doha.

"We urge everyone to resist provocation, overreaction and violence, and turn to dialogue. Without dialogue we cannot hope to appeal to reason, to heal resentment or overcome mistrust," said the statement, also issued by the foreign ministers of Qatar, Spain and Turkey who attended the meeting.

The cartoons, one of them showing the Prophet with a bomb-shaped turban, were first published last September in a Danish newspaper and since reprinted in other European papers.

Any image of the Prophet -- let alone biting caricatures -- is considered blasphemous under Islam.

The statement further urged restraint in the Muslim world, regretting "the loss of life and damage to property in several countries."

"All of us now join to renew our call for restraint and for an immediate end to the present atmosphere, which threatens to sow deep discord between communities, societies and countries," it read.

"We also reaffirm the right to peaceful protest, especially where deep hurt has been caused, and we acknowledge that Muslims do indeed feel deep hurt over the caricatures," it said.

The drawings have triggered a massive boycott of Danish products across the Muslim world, but also sparked worldwide violent protests that led to deaths in some countries like Nigeria and Pakistan.

Demonstrators set fire to the Danish consulate in Beirut earlier in the month and Syrian protesters did the same with the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus.

The violence drew unanimous condemnation from Muslim scholars worldwide and prompted many Muslims to launch individual initiatives to remove stereotypes about Islam and the prophet in the Western media.

Denmark has welcomed an initiative by Muslim preacher Amr Khaled to visit the Scandinavian country with a host of Muslim youths to engage in a dialogue with Danish youths and intellectuals. The country is further planning a series of initiatives to build bridges with the Muslim world after the row.