Pakistan has banned the latest edition of US magazine Newsweek for publishing a picture of a Muslim woman with Quranic verses written on her naked back, officials said on Saturday. The government has ordered the confiscation of all copies of the November 22 edition which may have already entered the country, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told AFP.
"We have imposed the ban because the picture carried by Newsweek will hurt Muslim feelings," he added.
The picture was printed alongside an article titled "Clash of Civilisations" about ethnic tensions in Europe following the murder of controversial Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh.
Van Gogh, who stirred resentment with a short movie showing nude models under veils to comment on Islamic dress codes, was shot and stabbed to death in Amsterdam on November 2.
Some 20 mosques, churches and Islamic schools in the Netherlands have been targeted by attacks since his killing.
In July, Pakistan banned another edition of Newsweek on religious grounds for carrying material about the Quran, the Muslim holy book.