By Adam Mosadioluwa
Four journalists from the Turkish satirical magazine LeMan have been arrested over a cartoon alleged to depict the Prophet Muhammad, a revered figure whose portrayal is prohibited in Islam.
Turkey鈥檚 Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, described the cartoon as 鈥渟hameless鈥, confirming that the magazine鈥檚 editor-in-chief, graphic designer, institutional director and cartoonist had all been taken into custody.
According to the BBC, Yerlikaya also shared videos of the arrests, calling the image a 鈥渧ile drawing.鈥
In a statement posted on X, LeMan denied the cartoon was of the Prophet Muhammad, saying 鈥渢he work does not refer to the Prophet Muhammed in any way.鈥
The cartoon, which has circulated on social media, shows two winged figures in the sky above a besieged city. One says, 鈥淧eace be upon you, I鈥檓 Muhammed,鈥 and the other replies, 鈥淧eace be upon you, I鈥檓 Musa.鈥
The publication sparked public outrage, drawing hundreds of protesters outside LeMan鈥檚 Istanbul offices on Monday.
Riot police were deployed as demonstrators chanted, 鈥渢ooth for tooth, blood for blood, revenge, revenge鈥. According to a correspondent with Agence France-Presse (AFP), police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said the Chief Public Prosecutor鈥檚 Office had launched an investigation for 鈥減ublicly insulting religious values鈥.
He wrote on X: 鈥淭he caricature or any form of visual representation of our Prophet not only harms our religious values but also damages societal peace. Necessary legal steps will be taken without delay.鈥
Arrest warrants have reportedly been issued for additional senior members of LeMan鈥檚 management.
Responding to the backlash, the magazine apologised to 鈥渨ell-intentioned readers who feel hurt鈥, but insisted the illustration was not of the Prophet.
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鈥淭he cartoonist wanted to portray the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people by depicting a Muslim killed by Israel, and he never intended to insult religious values,鈥 LeMan wrote on X.
鈥淲e do not accept the stain that is cast on us because there is no depiction of our Prophet. You have to be very malicious to interpret the cartoon in this way.鈥
Editor-in-chief Tuncay Akgun, speaking from Paris, told AFP that the drawing had been misinterpreted and that the magazine would 鈥渘ever take such a risk鈥. He said the situation bore 鈥渟imilarities with Charlie Hebdo鈥, which is 鈥渧ery intentional and very worrying鈥.
The 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo鈥檚 Paris offices by Islamist gunmen left 12 people dead and marked one of France鈥檚 deadliest terror incidents.
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