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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Malayalam actor Rajesh Keshav in ICU after cardiac arrest
Kochi (PTI): Malayalam actor Rajesh Keshav is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after suffering a cardiac arrest on August 24, hospital sources said on Wednesday.
The 47-year-old actor, known for notable roles in various films and TV shows, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday night after collapsing at a city hotel.
He was first taken to the Emergency Department and successfully revived through immediate resuscitation, the hospital said in a statement.
Keshav was then shifted to the Cath Lab, where an emergency angioplasty was performed, it said, adding that he had suffered a prolonged cardiac arrest, which resulted in a moderate hypoxic injury.
The Neuro Wing is closely monitoring his neurological recovery, and encouraging signs of progress are being observed, they explained.
"At present, he remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) under advanced life support," the statement said.
His condition is serious but showing gradual improvement, with a multidisciplinary team of doctors actively involved in his treatment, it added.
