A French court has ruled that the writer Michel Houellebecq is not guilty of inciting racism after Muslim groups sued him for calling Islam "the stupidest religion".
A panel of three judges, delivering their verdict to a packed Paris courtroom, acquitted Mr Houellebecq (45) of the charges of provoking racial hatred in remarks made in an interview with the literary magazine Lirelast year.
Joined by France's Human Rights League, the Mecca-based World Islamic League and the mosques of Paris and Lyon pressed charges against the award-winning author in a trial reminiscent of Britain's Salman Rushdie affair.
The case pitted free speech against religious sensitivities at a time of rising public concern about Islam in the wake of the September 11th attacks and growing sensitivity to radical Islam in France, home to Europe's largest Muslim community.
Mr Houellebecq, a reclusive writer who lives in Ireland, argued in his defence last month that criticising a religion did not mean he was insulting its followers.
He said all three monotheistic religions - Christianity, Judaism and Islam - were based on scriptures that were "texts of hate".