Turkish police arrest at least 4 magazine employees over cartoon allegedly depicting Prophet
Istanbul: Turkish police have arrested at least four employees of the satirical weekly magazine LeMan following allegations that a recently published cartoon depicted the Prophet Muhammad, sparking protests and clashes in Istanbul.
The image allegedly appeared to show a Muslim and a Jewish man, with wings and halos, shaking hands in the sky above a scene of buildings with missiles falling—a portrayal that protesters interpreted as a visual representation of the Prophet Muhammad.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on social media, LeMan denied that the cartoon was intended to depict the Prophet Muhammad. The publication clarified that the name "Muhammed" referenced in the illustration was meant to represent a Muslim victim of Israeli airstrikes, not the Prophet.
“In the work, the name Muhammed is fictionalised as belonging to a Muslim person killed in Israel’s bombardments. There are more than 200 million people named Muhammed in the Islamic world. The work does not refer to the Prophet Muhammed in any way,” the magazine said.
“By highlighting a murdered Muslim, the aim was to highlight the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people, with no intention whatsoever of belittling religious values. We reject the stigma imposed on us, as there is no depiction of our Prophet,” it added.
In response to public outcry, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç confirmed that the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had launched an investigation into the publication for "publicly insulting religious values."
"The caricature or any form of visual representation of our Prophet not only harms our religious values but also damages societal peace," Tunc wrote on X, adding that necessary legal steps will be taken without delay against LeMan's journalists.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya also posted on social media, stating that the cartoonist responsible for the image and LeMan's graphic designer had been taken into custody.
Arrest warrants have also been issued for the magazine’s editor-in-chief and managing editor, according to media reports.
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Assam records nearly 18 pc voter turnout in first two hours of assembly polls
Guwahati (PTI): A voter turnout of 17.87 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of the assembly elections in Assam, where the BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is striving to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago.
Polling began at 7 am for the 126-member assembly, and 17.87 per cent of the state's 2.5 crore voters exercised their franchise till 9 am, officials said.
A total of 722 candidates are in the fray for the elections, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc helmed by the Congress.
The river island of Majuli recorded the highest turnout in the first two hours at 20.03 per cent, while Tamulpur in the Bodoland Territorial Region witnessed the lowest at 15.32 per cent.
Voters began queuing outside polling booths since early morning, despite rain in many parts of the state.
Prominent candidates who have cast their votes so far include Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia in Nazira, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi in Khowang, and BJP's Pradyut Bordoloi.
Votes are being cast at 31,490 polling stations across the 35 districts of the state, with polling concluding at 5 pm.
Among the heavyweight candidates whose fates would be decided in this election are Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi.
The Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The AIUDF has 30 candidates, while NDA constituents Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) are contesting 26 and 11 seats, respectively.
In the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal is contesting 13 seats, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) 10, CPI(M) 3 and APHLC 2. Other parties in the fray include AAP (18), UPPL (18), TMC (22), JMM (16), besides 258 Independents.
Algapur-Katlicherra and Karimganj South have the highest number of candidates at 15 each, while nine constituencies -- Rangia, Jagiroad (SC), Hojai, Naduar, Jonai (ST), Doomdooma, Mahmora, Teok and Lakhipur -- have only two candidates each.
