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The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Tuesday demanded that Turkish authorities release four staff members of the LeMan magazine who were arrested for a publication purportedly depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Police in Türkiye detained the cartoonists on Monday.
The publication superficially illustrated Muhammad, Islam’s chief prophet, and Moses, a critical prophet of Judaism, shaking hands in the sky while war erupts below them. While LeMan stated on X that the cartoon is not of the Prophet Muhammad and is merely a man named Muhammad, the publication has enraged many political and religious conservatives.
Protests and clashes erupted in Istanbul following the publication. For most Muslims, depictions of Muhammad, even reverent ones, are strictly forbidden because they are viewed as the worship of idols. Tuncay Akgun, LeMan’s editor-in-chief, said that the images had been misconstrued, clarifying that the work depicted a fictional Muslim man named Muhammad who was killed in Israeli bombardments. Akgun further stated that over 200 million people in the Islamic world shared the name Muhammad and that the publication had nothing to do with the prophet.
This is not the first instance of backlash against satirical portrayals of religious figures. For example, in 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published a series of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, creating violent global protests. Additionally, the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo reprinted those same cartoons, and gunmen subsequently stormed its Paris office, killing at least 12 people and injuring at least 11.
Türkiye’s interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, posted a video that shows the violent arrest of the magazine employees. Yerlikaya also stated that “[t]hese scoundrels will be held accountable by the law.” Furthermore, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the cartoon as a “vile publication.” Access to the magazine’s website and X account was blocked by the Istanbul 5th Criminal Court of Peace.
This incident comes amidst not only the stark divide between many Muslims and Jews but also amidst the ongoing threat to and attacks on the freedom of speech and the press. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) tracks in real-time abuses against journalists. RSF reported that at least 534 journalists and 40 media workers have been detained as of today, and at least 18 journalists have been killed since January 1, 2025. In Türkiye specifically, “[M]edia pluralism is being called into question. All possible means are used to undermine critics.” According to RSF, Turkey ranks 159 out of 180 countries on the press freedom index.
The CPJ is a nonprofit organization that aims to “defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.” The group urged Turkish authorities to “release” the LeMan employees from custody and “ensure their safety.”
The post Nonprofit urges release of four detained members of left-wing Türkiye magazine appeared first on JURIST - News.
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The publication superficially illustrated Muhammad, Islam’s chief prophet, and Moses, a critical prophet of Judaism, shaking hands in the sky while war erupts below them. While LeMan stated on X that the cartoon is not of the Prophet Muhammad and is merely a man named Muhammad, the publication has enraged many political and religious conservatives.
Protests and clashes erupted in Istanbul following the publication. For most Muslims, depictions of Muhammad, even reverent ones, are strictly forbidden because they are viewed as the worship of idols. Tuncay Akgun, LeMan’s editor-in-chief, said that the images had been misconstrued, clarifying that the work depicted a fictional Muslim man named Muhammad who was killed in Israeli bombardments. Akgun further stated that over 200 million people in the Islamic world shared the name Muhammad and that the publication had nothing to do with the prophet.
This is not the first instance of backlash against satirical portrayals of religious figures. For example, in 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published a series of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, creating violent global protests. Additionally, the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo reprinted those same cartoons, and gunmen subsequently stormed its Paris office, killing at least 12 people and injuring at least 11.
Türkiye’s interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, posted a video that shows the violent arrest of the magazine employees. Yerlikaya also stated that “[t]hese scoundrels will be held accountable by the law.” Furthermore, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the cartoon as a “vile publication.” Access to the magazine’s website and X account was blocked by the Istanbul 5th Criminal Court of Peace.
This incident comes amidst not only the stark divide between many Muslims and Jews but also amidst the ongoing threat to and attacks on the freedom of speech and the press. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) tracks in real-time abuses against journalists. RSF reported that at least 534 journalists and 40 media workers have been detained as of today, and at least 18 journalists have been killed since January 1, 2025. In Türkiye specifically, “[M]edia pluralism is being called into question. All possible means are used to undermine critics.” According to RSF, Turkey ranks 159 out of 180 countries on the press freedom index.
The CPJ is a nonprofit organization that aims to “defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.” The group urged Turkish authorities to “release” the LeMan employees from custody and “ensure their safety.”
The post Nonprofit urges release of four detained members of left-wing Türkiye magazine appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.