The Mail and Guardian published a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad complaining that his followers lack a sense of humour, angering Muslims and raising fear of reprisal attacks during next month’s World Cup.

South Africa will host the month-long soccer tournament from June 11 and police have pledged to protect the 300 000 expected foreign visitors and the teams taking part.

The Mail & Guardian newspaper published a sketch by renowned cartoonist Zapiro after a court rejected an overnight bid by Muslim advocacy groups for an injunction to prevent the newspaper from printing the cartoon.

The cartoon depicts the prophet on a psychologist’s couch saying that his followers do not have a sense of humour.

Muslims consider any depiction of the founder of Islam to be offensive. In 2005, a Danish newspaper published cartoons of

Mohammad which were subsequently republished elsewhere, sparking violent protests that killed several dozen people.

South Africa’s Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) said it would meet to discuss the cartoon, which it deemed highly offensive to the religious sensibilities of Muslims.

“It seems to be provocative in many ways on the very eve of the World Cup in South Africa, when we need peaceful co-existence and co-operation amongst religious communities in South Africa,” said MJC President Ihsaan Hendricks.

“The M&G (Mail & Guardian) needed to understand that offending the South African Muslim community is offending the international Muslim community,” he added.

About 80% of South Africa’s 50 million population is Christian and 1,5% Muslim. Muslims are well integrated in South African society and there has been little extremist violence with the exception of Muslim-led attacks on drug dealers in Cape Town several years ago.

Times LIVE user Truthhurts writes: "Now why would Zapiro try to irritate these guys before the world cup now. They are not focusing on us, please man. Do your thang after the world cup, not before".

Times Live user Mommacyndi Yea writes: "As funny and truthful as I find it, I think both Zapiro and the M+G are going to regret this one. Those are seriously cray buggers to mess with".