The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada plans to launch a national newspaper to better educate Canadians about Islamic issues.

Recent cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad have appeared in a number of publications around the world including two published in Alberta.

Council president Syed Soharwardy says the controversy over the depictions shows Canadians need to understand why certain issues are so important to Muslims.

Soharwardy wants the newspaper to provide diverse voices on news – with an Islamic perspective.

"We will try to break those barriers," Soharwardy said. "We will bring people with different denominations within the Muslim community together. This will not be a newspaper or news magazine of a specific denomination. This will represent the broader Muslim community."

The Muslim Free Press will be published simultaneously in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal every two weeks. Within the next five years, it's expected to become a weekly.

The cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad were first printed in a Danish newspaper in September and have since sparked both peaceful and violent protests around the world.

A number of other western media outlets have reprinted the drawings, including the Western Standard and Jewish Free Press, two Calgary-based publications.

The new paper will launch April 15.