Chechen head backtracks on Danish ban

GROZNY, Russia, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The leader of Chechnya says his government did not ban a Danish aid agency, even though he personally condemns the Danish publication of cartoons of Mohammed.

Acting Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov appeared to refute comments he made earlier this month when he said Danish groups would not be welcome in Chechnya, a predominantly Muslim republic of Russia, the Moscow News reported Friday.

After he made the comments, the presidential administration ordered prosecutors to investigate.

Kadyrov said Thursday that no official documents had been issued on the activities of the Danish Refugee Council, which provides food to tens of thousands of people in war-ravaged Chechnya.

He claimed a letter written by Deputy Prime Minister Halid Vaikhanov was "advisory" in nature and was meant not to ban the work of the Danish group, but to protect its members, Interfax reported.

Kadyrov said: "As a Muslim and a Chechen practicing Islam, I had to say that I condemn those who published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. ... If the Danes don't respect a global religion, if they don't respect the feelings of one and a half billion Muslims, then how can we not respond to this as citizens and believers?"