Paris ? French and German newspapers republished caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad on Wednesday in what they called a defense of freedom of expression, sparking fresh anger from Muslims.

The drawings have divided opinion within Europe and the Middle East since a Danish newspaper first printed them in September. Islamic tradition bars any depiction of the prophet to prevent idolatry.

The cartoons include an image of Muhammad wearing a turban shaped as a bomb and another portraying him holding a sword, his eyes covered by a black rectangle.

The front page of the daily France Soir on Wednesday carried the headline “Yes, We Have the Right to Caricature God” along with a cartoon of Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim and Christian gods floating on a cloud. Inside, the paper reran the Danish drawings.

Germany’s Die Welt daily printed one of the drawings on its front page, arguing that a “right to blasphemy” was anchored in democratic freedoms. The Berliner Zeitung daily printed two of the caricatures as part of its coverage of the controversy.

Italy’s La Stampa printed a small version of the offending caricature, on page 13. Two Spanish papers, Barcelona’s El Periodico and Madrid’s El Mundo, also carried the photos.

The decision by French Soir drew a stern but measured reaction from the government.

It is unusual for the Foreign Ministry to comment on the contents of French publications, but the issue is sensitive at home. France has Western Europe’s largest Muslim community with an estimated 5 million people.

France Soir, which is owned by an Egyptian magnate and has struggled to attract readers, justified its decision.

The Danish daily Jyllands-Posten originally published the cartoons after asking artists to depict Islam’s prophet to challenge what it perceived was self-censorship among artists dealing with Islamic issues. A Norwegian newspaper reprinted the images earlier this month.

Angered by the drawings, masked Palestinian gunmen briefly took over a European Union office in Gaza on Monday. Syria called for the offenders to be punished. Danish goods were swept from shelves in many countries, and Saudi Arabia and Libya recalled their ambassadors to Denmark.

The Jyllands-Posten – which received a bomb threat over the drawings – has apologized for hurting Muslims’ feelings but not for publishing the cartoons. Its editor said Wednesday, however, that he would not have printed the drawings had he foreseen the consequences.