Bishop of South Sydney Robert Forsyth, a well-known advocate of religious freedom, is defending the publication of a controversial cartoon about Islam by Western newspapers, labelling the violent response by some Muslims as "evil'.

"I don’t think it is right to legislate against blasphemy or to ban those cartoons,” he says.

“To be frank I find the actions of some Muslims over this as incomprehensible and evil.”

Following the publication of the cartoons in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, the Danish consulate in Beirut was torched and other European embassies in Damascus were damaged by Muslim protestors.

The cartoons have been republished in French, Norwegian and New Zealand newspapers.

Bishop Forsyth disagrees with some Islamic leaders, including Keyser Trad, spokesperson for the Sydney-based Islamic Friendship Association, who says the cartoons should not have been published because they incite hate against Muslims.

"Freedom of speech has limits, of course, when it will endanger people," Bishop Forsyth says, citing the example of recklessly shouting "fire' in a crowded theatre and creating a stampede.

"So of course there is such a thing as inciting hatred and violence. But that is not what was on view here."

Mr Trad told ABC radio yesterday many Muslims believe the Governments of those countries where the cartoon was published "should issue a formal apology for what’s been happening, that the laws in those countries should respect the sanctity and the reputation of good people'.

"It is absolutely unrelated to freedom of speech, it’s an issue of defamation, of maligning great figures, of distorting history, and it is something that Muslims feel are part of the continuing attack on Islam and a continuing mockery of Islam," Mr Trad said.

Bishop Forsyth says that any attempts to introduce laws to ban publishing such cartoons should be opposed.

He says he agrees with Salman Rusdie that "there is no right not to be offended".

"This is not to say that giving offence is always right, loving or wise. But there is no right not to be offended," Bishop Forsyth says.

Jeremy Halcrow, Anglican Media Sydney's News Director, says that while he "wholeheartedly' supported the freedom of the Danish newspaper to publish the cartoon, he thinks it is un-Christian to republish them.

"I think it is very important that we have an open society in order to debate the claims of all world views - religious and secular alike," Mr Halcrow says.

"As a result I am opposed to any so-called "hate' laws which censor religious debate."

Mr Halcrow adds that Anglican Media has published a number of critical articles looking at Islam, but notes many Christian commentators are failing to distinguish between the intent of a serious article and the intent of the Danish cartoon.

"When Christians debate the truth with non-Christians we must be loving and respectful. Cartoons work at an emotive level which does not further considered discussion," he says.

Likewise Bishop Forsyth, asked if it was inappropriate for a Christian paper in Norway to have republished the cartoon depicting Mohammed as a terrorist because it showed a lack of love for Muslims, says, "I don’t think it is appropriate to show such a lack of respect if you know that you will so upset others".

Meanwhile, evangelical groups have been celebrating this week after the shock defeat of the Blair Government’s Racial and Religious Hatred Bill in the House of Commons.

Religious and non-religious groups united to campaign vigorously against the Bill, saying it threatened freedom of speech.