SEATTLE (Reuters) – A Seattle cartoonist who stirred up a religious storm with a tongue-in-cheek encouragement to draw images of the Muslim prophet Mohammed has gone into hiding after a threat to her safety. According to Seattle Weekly, which originally published an illustration by cartoonist Molly Norris entitled “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day,” Norris was told by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to “go ghost.” “On the insistence of top security specialists at the FBI,” Norris is “moving, changing her name and essentially wiping away her identity,” a Seattle Weekly report said on Thursday. The Seattle office of the FBI did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born Muslim cleric linked to al Qaeda and thought to be hiding in Yemen, said this summer on a website that social satirist Norris was a “prime target.” Norris originally launched her mock campaign in protest at threats of violence issued against those who depict Mohammed, which is considered blasphemous in Muslim culture. The issue became a flashpoint five years ago when a caricature by Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard sparked sometimes violent protests. U.S. cartoon TV series South Park stirred up controversy and more threats earlier this year with its depiction of Mohammed in a bear suit. (Reporting by Bill Rigby; Editing by Todd Eastham) Follow Yahoo! News on Twitter , become a fan on Facebook

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OTTAWA (AFP) – One of two Canadians arrested after police in Australia cracked an alleged pedophile porn ring operating on Facebook was a teacher at a prestigious school in Vancouver, police said Friday. The man, in his 40s, directed the high school’s social sciences department. He was charged with possessing and distributing child pornography, Vancouver police sergeant Tony Cavezza told AFP. He faces a maximum five years in prison, if convicted under Canada’s criminal code. He has been released on bail after being arrested on June 4, on the condition that he not use the Internet or have contacts with minors. His next court appearance is on September 21. A second Canadian arrested was in Kelowna, British Columbia, and could face similar charges, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesman Steve Holmes. Australian Federal Police said Facebook had been integral in helping international law enforcement agencies dismantle the alleged child pornography syndicate, resulted in 11 arrests in Australia, Britain and Canada. Australian police said six arrests had been made in Britain, including of the alleged head of the network, three in Australia and two in Canada but that inquiries, including those by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), were continuing. They said the investigation began in March when an officer established an online identity on Facebook and was approached by one member of the network, which was allegedly using Facebook to exchange graphic material. Follow Yahoo! News on Twitter , become a fan on Facebook

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