Raza Academy holds protest at Handiwala Masjid over a controversial cartoon published in Turkey’s Leman magazine | File Photo
Mumbai: Muslim groups in Mumbai protested against publication of objectionable cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in a Turkish magazine. The Raza Academy organised a protest meeting at Handiwala Masjid, Silver Jubilee Street, after Friday prayers.
The group said the cartoon related in the weekly satire Lemen magazine has sparked widespread outrage among Muslims worldwide. The protest was led by Haji Muhammad Saeed Noori, president of Raza Academy, and Maulana Ijaz Ahmad Kashmiri. Hundreds of devotees participated, registering their strong objection to the derogatory act.
Noori said, “Any disrespect towards Prophet Muhammad is unbearable for the Muslim community. We demand that the Turkish government take strict action against this magazine and respect the sentiments of Muslims worldwide.”
Speakers at the protest also demanded that the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the global community enact concrete and effective international laws against such objectionable acts, preventing anyone from committing such blasphemy in the future.During the protest, people chanted slogans like ‘Labbaik Ya Rasul Allah.’
On Monday, Turkey detained three cartoonists over the drawing that seemed to depict Prophets Moses and Muhammad, shaking hands in the sky, while missiles flew below in a scene resembling war. The magazine later apologised to readers, saying that the cartoon did not mock the prophet.
