Reforms Minister Roberto Calderoli was called to resign by Prime Minister Berlusconi after his decision to wear a T-shirt emblazoned with cartoons satirising the prophet Muhammed. The minister wore the specially-made shirt for an entire week causing further offence to the Islamic world which was already up in arms. The cartoons in question were first published by a Danish newspaper in September and have angered Muslims across the globe.
As a result of Minister Calderoli’s T-shirt, Libya pulled out of a conference on Italy’s business relations with Africa. It also caused the even graver consequence of sparking violent protests in front of the Italian Consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi, where at least ten demonstrators were reported killed after violent clashes with police.
