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world news Diahuebs 29 OctOber 2020

Turkish leaders condemn Charlie Hebdo cartoon of Erdogan

(AP) — Turkish officials Erdogan himself said he had
on Wednesday railed not looked at the drawing and
against French satirical had nothing to say about the
magazine Charlie Hebdo “dishonorable” publication.
over its cover-page car-
toon mocking Turkish “My sadness and anger does
President Recep Tayyip not stem from the disgust-
Erdogan and accused the ing attack on my person but
publication of sowing “the from the fact that the same
seeds of hatred and ani- (publication) is the source of
mosity.” the impertinent attack on my
dear Prophet,” Erdogan told
The cartoon could further his ruling party's legislators
heighten tensions between in parliament.
Turkey and France over
French President Emmanuel He went on to criticize
Macron’s firm stance against France and other Europe na-
Islamism following the be- tions' colonial past saying:
heading of a teacher who “You are murderers!”
showed caricatures of the
Prophet Muhammad for a Tensions between France and
class lesson on free speech. Turkey have mounted in re-
cent months over Turkish ac-
Leaders from around the tions in Syria, Libya and the
Muslim world added their Caucasus Mountains region
criticism of what they see as of Nagorno-Karabakh. toward journalists, toward prophet.” cern over the “ridicule and
attacks on Islam in the West, The cartoon depicted Erdo- a newsroom, that led to the mockery” of Islam’s Prophet
while France vowed not to gan in his underwear holding bloodshed we have seen in Egypt’s President Abdel-Fat- Muhammad and desecration
back away from defending a drink and lifting the skirt of recent years in our country,” tah el-Sissi said that offend- of the Quran in the Western
freedom of expression. a woman wearing an Islamic he said, referring to the 2015 ing the prophet undermines world, especially in Europe.
The cartoons that led to the dress. attack on Charlie Hebdo at- “high values” many Muslims
teacher’s death were the “I condemn this incorrigible tack that killed 12 people and believe in. “We, too, have Khan wrote that “covert and
same drawings that were at French rag's immoral publi- was the first in a series of ex- rights; right of not to hurt overt discrimination” against
the center of a deadly 2015 cation concerning our presi- tremist attacks on France. our feelings and not to offend Muslims is widespread in
extremist attack on Charlie dent,” Turkish Vice President In Egypt, the country's top our values," he said. Europe.
Hebdo’s staff. Fuat Oktay wrote on Twitter. Muslim cleric called on the “I believe the leadership in
international community to Speaking at a Cabinet meet- these countries, often acts
The Prophet Muhammad Macron's stance sparked anti- adopt universal legislation ing, Iran’s President Hassan out of lack of understanding
cartoons upset many in the France protests in Turkey and criminalizing anti-Muslim Rouhani also weighed in on of the intrinsic deep passion,
Muslim world. But it was in other Muslim countries as discrimination and activities. the debate. love and devotion Muslims
Erdogan who led the charge well as calls for the boycott of “If Europe and France are af- all over the world have for
against France and ques- French goods. At a gathering celebrating ter rights, ethics and culture their Prophet," he wrote. He
tioned Macron’s mental state. Prophet Muhammad’s birth- they have to withdraw from urged Muslim leaders to take
France then recalled its am- French government spokes- day, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, intervention in Muslim af- the initiative to call for an end
bassador to Turkey for con- man Gabriel Attal said the Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam, also fairs,” Rouhani said. to this cycle of hate and vio-
sultations, a first in French- country would not back condemned the slaying of the lence.
Turkish diplomatic relations. down in the face of what he French teacher in Paris as “an Scores of people gathered in About 300 members of Paki-
called “efforts of destabiliza- odious and painful murder." front of the French Embassy stan’s radical Jamaat-e-Islami
“We strongly condemn the tion, of intimidation.” in Tehran, setting the French party rallied in the port city
publication concerning our “France will never renounce He said that offending Islam flag on fire and chanting of Karachi to denounce Ma-
president of the French mag- its principles and values, and Muslims has become a “Death to France.” cron. The demonstrators
azine, which has no respect to and notably the freedom of tool to mobilize votes. He wanted to march toward the
faith, the sacred and values,” expression and freedom of called the “offensive car- Pakistani Prime Minister Im- Consulate of France but po-
Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibra- publication” Attal said. toons” depicting Muhammad ran Khan meanwhile, wrote lice stopped them.
him Kalin, wrote on Twitter. “a blatant hostility against letters to the heads of Mus-
“It was hateful comments this noble religion and its lim states, expressing his con- In the biblical town of Bethle-
The Ankara Chief Pros- hem in the West Bank, Mus-
ecutor's office launched an lim and Christian leaders led
investigation into Charlie a rare interfaith demonstra-
Hebdo managers over the tion to denounce Macron’s
cartoon, Tukey's state-run defense of the publication of
Anadolu news agency report- the cartoons. About 50 peo-
ed. Insulting the president is ple, including dozens of local
a crime in Turkey punishable officials and dignitaries, gath-
by up to four years in prison. ered in front of the Church
of the Nativity, where tradi-
Turkey's Foreign Ministry tion says Jesus was born.
later summoned the French
charge d’affaires to protest Greek Orthodox Archbishop
the cartoon and to demand Atallah Hanna said the gath-
that the French authorities ering was meant “to send
“take the necessary political a strong message from the
and legal steps” against the Holy Land that we Palestin-
drawings, which the ministry ians, Christians and Mus-
said “exceed the boundaries lims, reject hate speech and
of freedom of expression,” racist speeches and call al-
Anadolu reported. ways for brotherhood, peace
and love.”