Massive protest break out over controversial ‘Prophet Mohammed’ cartoon

Massive protest break out over controversial ‘Prophet Mohammed’ cartoon

Violent clashes broke out in Istanbul on Monday after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse a crowd enraged over a cartoon published in the latest issue of LeMan, a Turkish satirical magazine.

The cartoon, accused of depicting the Prophet Mohammed, sparked widespread outrage and led to arrests and a raid on the magazine’s offices.

According to newsmen on the scene, the unrest began shortly after the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for editors of LeMan, stating the cartoon “publicly insulted religious values.”

An official statement confirmed that a full investigation had been launched into the cartoon published in the June 26, 2025, issue.

The black-and-white image, which circulated widely on social media, shows two characters floating in the sky above a bombed-out city.

One character says, “Salam aleikum, I’m Mohammed,” while the other responds, “Aleikum salam, I’m Musa.” Critics argued that the cartoon portrayed religious figures in a disrespectful manner.

However, *LeMan*’s editor-in-chief, Tuncay Akgun, speaking from Paris, denied the accusations, insisting the image had been misinterpreted. “This was not a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed,” Akgun explained.

“The name Mohammed was used to represent a fictional Muslim victim of Israeli bombardments. There are more than 200 million people named Mohammed—it had nothing to do with the Prophet. We would never take such a risk.”

As outrage spread, protesters stormed a bar frequented by *LeMan* staff in downtown Istanbul, clashing with police as tensions escalated.

The skirmishes quickly grew into large-scale confrontations involving up to 300 people.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the arrest of the cartoonist, the magazine’s graphic designer, and two other staff members.

Authorities also seized control of LeMan’s offices on Istiklal Avenue, while additional arrest warrants were issued for more executives, according to presidential aide Fahrettin Altun.

In a series of posts on X, LeMan defended the cartoon, accusing government officials of deliberately distorting its meaning for political gain.

“The cartoon aimed to highlight the suffering of oppressed Muslim victims in Gaza, not to mock religious values,” the magazine stated.

Editor Tuncay Akgun described the crackdown as a targeted effort to silence dissent. “This is an act of annihilation. The ministers are fully involved, and the cartoon’s meaning has been twisted,” he said.

Drawing a parallel to the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack in France, Akgun warned, “There is an intentional attempt to draw us into a similar narrative. It’s a systematic provocation.”

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç reaffirmed the government’s stance, announcing that the investigation would proceed on charges of “publicly insulting religious values.”

“No freedom gives anyone the right to make sacred beliefs the subject of vulgar humor,” he wrote.

Istanbul Governor Davut Gül also condemned the magazine, stating, “We will not stay silent in the face of any vile act targeting our nation’s faith.”