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The Print
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Print
Turkey's looking more like Pakistan every day. Blasphemy-obsessed, imprisoned by hatred
Though no one was killed in the violence, it is becoming clear that Turkey, once the progressive cultural powerhouse of the Middle East, is starting to look a little more like Pakistan each week. The country's septuagenarian ruler, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is even working to dismantle the constitution , which mandates that 'sacred religious feelings shall absolutely not be involved in state affairs and politics as required by the principle of secularism'. Earlier this week, police in Istanbul fired rubber bullets and tear gas into a mob seeking to attack a bar where staff of the magazine had retreated after the supposedly blasphemous cartoon went to print. The country's interior minister Ali Yerlikaya has promised legal action against the cartoonist, graphic designer, and editors of LeMan , vowing that 'these shameless individuals will be held accountable before the law'. The inferno lies below, a landscape made up of bombs, fire, and rubble. Their wings elevating them above the carnage, two angels—one bearing the name of the Prophet of Islam and the other of the Israelites—wish each other peace. The cartoon, published in the Turkish satirical magazine LeMan , is open to readings. Is it that those condemned to live in war can only discover their shared humanity after being liberated from life? Alternately, is it that the angels have abandoned their followers on earth, learning that piety cannot tame the savagery of the faithful? Extreme religious violence isn't unknown in Turkey. Thirty-seven people were burned to death in 1993 after mobs attacked a cultural festival of the Alevi sect, attended among others by the Turkish translator of Salman Rushdie's book, The Satanic Verses. The proscription of books, arrests of opposition leaders, and the repression of ethnic minorities have been an ugly feature of Turkey's republic. However, its social and cultural life remains highly sophisticated and liberal, and not just by the standards of the grim Middle East despotisms. Erdoğan's true legacy, the violence in Istanbul suggests, might be demolishing the foundations on which Turkey's pluralism has rested. Decline of the republic Kemal Atatürk's epoch-defining construction of republican Turkey from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire aimed to create a new civilisation that could negotiate the industrial world. The religious orders that wielded enormous influence in the imperial era were closed down in 1925. Far-reaching reforms were introduced on how men and women ought to dress, including the rejection of the traditional Fez cap and encouraging women to give up the Peçe (headscarf) and Çarşaf (a loose-fitting outer garment). In 1928, the Latin alphabet replaced the Arabic script, a tool to demolish the power of the clerical class. The same year, Islam was removed as the state religion. For Atatürk, it seemed that the reconstruction of Islam itself was necessary. So he established the Presidency of Religious Affairs to oversee religious affairs. The clergy were transformed into state employees, responsible for delivering sermons dictated by the authorities. Imams were ordered to allow musical instruments into mosques, and failing that, were provided with gramophones and records. Even the wearing of shoes inside mosques was encouraged. This state-enforced religion, scholar Nevzet Çelik noted in a thoughtful essay, brought about enormous transformation—but it also stifled the organic evolution of civic life and marked secularism with the taint of authoritarianism. As Atatürk's legacy faded, and Turkey became more shaped by Cold War anticommunism, religion became a language of protest for the peasantry and bourgeoisie. According to historian David Tonge, from 1980 onward, things began to come to a head. The faltering economy fed communal tensions. Fifty died in massacres in Çorum, where Turkish ultranationalists attacked Alevis. As Left-wing groups battled fascists on the streets, the fights claimed dozens of lives every day. The opposition politician Necmettin Erbakan used Islam to attack Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit, calling for Turkey to be made an Islamic State. The military stepped in to end the chaos: Turkey woke up on 12 September 1980 to find itself under military rule. To some, this seemed just a passing phase. The country had, after all, been subjected to coups in 1960 and 1971. The Generals hadn't even troubled themselves to send out the tanks the second time, simply sending a memorandum to the parliament. Also read: Pakistan suffers violence of its own making. West's refusal to learn is even more tragic A change of destiny Led by General Kenan Evren, the National Security Council realised it needed to come to terms with the social forces sweeping Turkey. Though secularism continued to be promoted as a guiding principle, religious education was reintroduced in primary and secondary schools. The government of Prime Minister Turgut Özal, which was elected in 1983, also instrumentalised religion. His education minister Vehbi Dinçerler banned the teaching of evolution and instructed clerical schools to teach that Turks had been 'leaders in the rise and dissemination of Islam throughout the world'. Later, Özal became the first Prime Minister of Turkey to make the Hajj pilgrimage while in office, leading a delegation of several hundred Members of Parliament and senior civil servants. The opposition media, Tonge writes, savaged Özal, publishing pictures of him in his white, ritual ihram towels, contrasted with his wife in a cocktail dress, smoking one of her trademark cigars. Erbakan's rise to power in 1996 marked a further shift in political direction away from secularism. His first trip abroad was to Tehran, in defiance of the United States, and then to Libya. He also tried to launch a D8 group of Muslim nations, as an alternative to the West's G7 group of economically developed countries. The ban on female civil servants wearing the headscarf was removed. The Generals, concerned, presented Erbakan with 18 directives, 10 of which concerned the defence of secularism. Then, in April, the military declared reactionary Islam to be more dangerous to Turkey than Kurdish secessionists, or even wars. Television stations, radio broadcasters, and newspapers considered sympathetic to the Islamists were shut down. Also read: Chinese J-20 isn't just a fighter jet—it's a signal to US, Japan and India European departure From 1999, the European Union sought to stabilise its eastern frontiers by drawing Turkey into the transnational body. The demands for civil liberties and freedoms that were now placed on Turkey's military gutted the institution. Led by Erdoğan, the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP) or Justice and Development Party, was founded in 2001, bringing together a disparate coalition of Islamists. To the world, however, the AKP presented itself as a pro-West, reformist, moderate, and neoliberal party. Europe and the United States bought the story. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice declared that the AKP was 'a government dedicated to pulling Turkey westward toward Europe'. President Barack Obama gushed about 'a model partnership' with Turkey. Erdoğan has also used the same language about Trump. The practice of AKP power, however, proved to be at odds with this image. For one, as the party faced growing competition from its rivals, it made increasing use of religion. 'Those with greater commitments to liberal democratic norms carried greater weight at the outset, only to lose their power and influence to electoralists,' political scientist Sebnem Gumuscu wrote in her book, Democracy or Authoritarianism. The signs of Erdoğan's commitment to Islamism became increasingly evident. The new school curriculum introduced in 2017 led to the removal of the theory of evolution and increased emphasis on religious values. The word 'jihad' was included as an essential part of Islam. And then, a year short of the centennial of the founding of the republic, he opened the Hagia Sofiya church for Islamic prayers, reversing Atatürk's decision to turn it into a museum, equally shared between the country's faiths. Erdoğan's beliefs are increasingly evident beyond Turkey's borders, too. The new regime in Syria has embraced Sharia as the basis of its laws, just as Erdoğan seeks in his homeland. He has also been accused of complicity in the killings of religious minorities. The rioting over the LeMan cartoon signals the rise of Turkey, diminished by its obsession with greatness, but a prisoner of resentment and hatred. This smaller, meaner Turkey, of the blasphemy rioter and sectarian killer, will be Erdoğan's legacy. Praveen Swami is Contributing Editor at ThePrint. His X handle is @praveenswami. Views are personal. (Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Turkish cartoonists arrested over satirical drawing allegedly depicting prophet Muhammad
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned as a 'vile provocation' a cartoon in a satirical magazine that appeared to depict Prophets Mohammad and Moses, amplifying an outcry by religious conservatives after the arrest of four cartoonists. In a statement on X, LeMan said: 'The work does not refer to the Prophet Muhammad in any way'
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Turkish police arrest cartoonists over drawing ‘showing prophet Muhammad'
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has condemned a cartoon in a satirical magazine as a 'vile provocation' for appearing to depict the prophets Muhammad and Moses, amplifying an outcry by religious conservatives. The cartoon, published a few days after the end of a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, appears to show Muhammad, Islam's chief prophet, and Moses, one of Judaism's most important prophets, shaking hands in the sky while missiles fly below in a wartime scene. Four cartoonists were arrested on Monday over the illustration. It was criticised by religious conservatives and by Erdoğan's ruling party, which called it an 'Islamophobic hate crime,' even as the magazine that published it, LeMan, apologised to readers who felt offended and said the drawing had been misunderstood. 'We will not allow anyone to speak against our sacred values,' Erdoğan said in televised remarks, adding that the authorities would closely follow the legal process. 'Those who show disrespect to our prophet and other prophets will be held accountable before the law,' he said. Erdoğan and his Islamic-rooted AK Party regularly criticise what they call Islamophobic acts in broadly secular Turkey and across Europe. Devout Muslims regard depictions of the prophet Muhammad as blasphemous. In a statement on X, LeMan said: 'The work does not refer to the Prophet Muhammad in any way.' The cartoonist, Dogan Pehlevan, had sought to highlight 'the suffering of a Muslim man killed in Israeli attacks', it said, adding there had been no intent to insult Islam or its prophet. The magazine urged authorities to counter what it called a smear campaign, and to protect freedom of expression. Several civil society groups condemned the detentions of the four cartoonists as a violation of freedom of thought and expression. Turkey's freedom of expression ranking is low, due to restrictions on media and public discourse. Reporters Without Borders ranked it 158th out of 180 countries in its 2024 Press Freedom Index. More than 200 people rallied against LeMan in central Istanbul on Tuesday, despite a ban on gatherings and a heavy police presence. One protester, public servant Muhammed Emin Necipsoy, said the magazine's defence seemed insincere. 'There is a subtle emphasis there on both the prophet [Muhammad] and the prophet Moses,' he said. Turkey's interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, shared a video on X showing police officers detaining Pehlevan, with his hands cuffed behind his back as he was dragged up a flight of stairs. He also shared videos of three other men being removed from their homes and put into vans, one of them barefoot. 'The individual who drew this vile image, D.P., has been apprehended and taken into custody. These shameless people will be held accountable before the law,' Yerlikaya wrote. The Turkish government said an inquiry had been launched under a law that criminalises incitement to hatred and enmity.
Malay Mail
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
‘Don't forget Charlie Hebdo': Istanbul protesters rage over satirical cartoon, arrests
ISTANBUL, July 2 — Angry protesters rallied in Istanbul on Tuesday despite a heavy police presence, shouting threats following allegations a satirical magazine published a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad. Unrest began late Monday after Istanbul's chief prosecutor ordered the arrest of staff at LeMan weekly saying it had published a cartoon that 'publicly insulted religious values'. LeMan categorically denied the allegation, with its editor-in-chief telling AFP the image had 'nothing to do with the Prophet Muhammad'. But news of the warrant brought an angry mob of hardline Islamist protesters onto the streets, who clashed with police late into the night, an AFP correspondent said. A group called Islamic Solidarity Platform called another protest Tuesday, prompting police to shut Taksim Square and Istiklal, the city's busy shopping thoroughfare. But they gathered anyway, with around 300 protesters shouted abuse and chanting 'Don't forget Charlie Hebdo', referring to the 2015 attack on a Paris magazine when Islamist gunmen killed 12 people after it published caricatures lampooning the Prophet Muhammad. According to the correspondent, the protesters were far less aggressive than those who rallied on Monday night, when around 400 Islamist hardliners tried to storm a bar frequented by the magazine staff. 'Down with secularism, long live sharia (law)! Jihad, jihad, martyrdom!' they shouted while clashing with police, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets. 'No justification for violence' Publication of the image drew sharp condemnation from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who denounced it as a 'hate crime'. 'It is a clear provocation disguised as humour, a vile provocation,' he railed, saying the authorities had confiscated all existing copies of the offending issue. Monday's violence drew sharp condemnation from Erol Onderoglu of Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 'There is no justification for such violence, which we strongly condemn,' he told AFP, saying it was 'hard to understand' why police did not intervene sooner and that the 'cartoonists' safety must take priority'. Overnight, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted images of the cartoonist, LeMan's graphic designer, its publisher and another staff member being roughly dragged away under arrest, prompting a rebuke from Turkish rights group MLSA. 'Detaining cartoonists and subjecting them to mistreatment under the accusation of 'insulting religious values' over a cartoon is unlawful,' its co-director Veysel Ok wrote on X. The Istanbul Bar Association also denounced the arrests, saying: 'Actions such as reverse handcuffing applied during detention, sharing of footage taken by forcibly bowing the head, and similar acts clearly violate the prohibition of ill-treatment.' Statements on the matter by politicians and ministers had 'undermined the presumption of innocence' and risked 'influencing judicial independence', it said. And 'aggressive actions and protests accompanied by slogans opposing the secular rule of law... under the guise of freedom of expression cannot be tolerated.' 'Social lynching' Copies of the disputed cartoon posted online show two winged characters with halos hovering in the skies over a city being bombed. 'Salam aleikum, I'm Mohammed,' says one shaking hands with the other who replies, 'Aleikum salam, I'm Musa.' Opposition leader Ozgur Ozel said he was shocked when he first heard the allegations but after looking at the image, said he quickly realised they were not true. 'Take a proper look: I see an angel who died in a bombardment in Gaza, with a halo and wings who encounters another angel also killed by a bomb... (but) Muhammad is a prophet, not an angel,' he said. 'I will not allow any disrespect to the Prophet Muhammad, but I won't remain silent about a social lynching based on a non-existant disrespect.' Speaking to AFP from Paris, LeMan editor-in-chief Tuncay Akgun said the image had been deliberately misinterpreted to cause provocation. 'In this work, the name of a Muslim who was killed in Israel's bombardments is fictionalised as Mohammed,' he said. 'This cartoon is not a caricature of Prophet Muhammad in any way,' he said, describing the arrest warrant as a 'systematic provocation and attack' on the decades-old satirical magazine. — AFP
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Erdogan Vows To PUNISH LeMan As Turkey BURNS Over Prophet's Cartoon
Massive protests have rocked Turkey after a satirical magazine named LeMan published a cartoon depicting two men named Muhammad and Moses exchanging greetings mid-air amid missiles raining down from the sky. Protesters alleged that the magazine insulted the Prophet. The Turkish authorities have detained four people including the cartoonist. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the act 'hate crime'. Watch out for more.
