"If the Danish government does not stop those extremists who are hurting our prophet Mohammed, we will go beyond cutting economic ties, to cutting diplomatic ties," Minister of Endowments and Religious Guidance Hamoud al-Hitar said.

He made the remarks in a speech during a rally attended by thousands of women in Sana'a to protest the reprinting of a cartoon depicting Mohammed wearing a turban shaped as a bomb in Danish newspapers.

"We will begin with boycotting the Danish products, but if this arrogance is not stopped, the Yemeni government is ready to cut diplomatic ties with Denmark," the minister said. Danish newspapers reprinted the controversial cartoon on February 13 despite the outrage sparked across the Muslim world the first time it was printed in 2006.

The newspapers said the cartoon's reproduction was a show of commitment to freedom of speech after a plot to murder the cartoon's artist was uncovered two weeks ago.

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