A cartoon in a humor/comedy magazine published in the last week of June caused a huge outrage in the country and sparked a debate. While a large part of the public strongly condemned the magazine for insulting Islam and Muslims' holy sanctities, another part of the public preferred to address the issue in the context of freedom of expression.
In this article, after briefly describing the content of the cartoon in question, some of the issues related to how the incident should be read are analyzed in more detail.
What kind of a cartoon was drawn?
A cartoon in the issue of a humor/comedy magazine dated June 26, 2025 caused widespread public outcry. The cartoon depicted two prophets in an environment of conflict and destruction. In the cartoon, Prophet Muhammad is depicted with the phrase "Peace be upon you, I am Muhammad!" while Prophet Moses is depicted with the phrase "Peace be upon me, I am Moses...".
This heinous cartoon was interpreted as "insulting religious values" and "disrespect targeting prophets" by many people on social media and in the public opinion. After the cartoon was met with a great reaction, especially on social media, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the publication of this cartoon. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation against those responsible for "publicly insulting religious values" and "inciting or insulting the public to hatred and hostility" and issued a recall order for the relevant issue of the magazine. Along with the illustrator, the magazine's graphic designer, editor-in-chief and managing director were also detained.
Due to the different reactions from politicians to the magazine, the debate has moved to a political ground. While some argued that the reaction was too harsh and that the cartoon should be evaluated in the context of "freedom of opinion", a large number of people argued that everyone involved in the drawing and publication of the cartoon should be put on trial.
How to Read the Cartoon?
The debates after the cartoon in question tell us a lot. In this article, I will try to explain under four separate headings why the cartoon cannot be seen as "normal, innocent and within the context of freedom of expression":
I. Muslims do not want their prophet depicted
First of all, considering the fact that it depicts the prophet of Islam, it must be said that the cartoon is not innocent because it is a drawing that Muslims never want to see. Because to depict the Prophet Muhammad in a Muslim country is to provoke the people who consider it a requirement of their faith to protect the prophet against any kind of attack. Indeed, people saw this cartoon as an attack on their sanctity and faith. As seen in the reactions of many people, the cartoon was characterized as a provocation that insulted religious values and deeply wounded the conscience of Muslims.
First of all, it must be emphasized that Muslims are absolutely opposed to any depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. For example, no movie or television series has ever depicted the Prophet Muhammad. In the past, in some European countries, the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in certain caricatures caused a great reaction and led to massive protests. At least a lesson should have been learned from this.
On the other hand, the cartoonist who said in his testimony that "the names Muhammad and Moses mentioned in the cartoon are popular and widely used in these societies" should look at Israeli society and the politicians who reflect them and see how many names of Moses he will come across. Come on, we know that the name Muhammad is very common among Muslims. However, the symbolic name of Israel is not Moses but David. There is a "Star of David" on the flag of Israel. David is the founder of the ancient state of Israel. Therefore, it is only possible to explain the cartoon with either malice and provocation or ignorance.
Finally, unfortunately, there has been a serious rise of anti-Islamism in our country recently. Anti-Islamic sentiments are sometimes voiced over the government, sometimes over refugees, sometimes over Arabs and the Middle East. However, it is obvious to everyone that these reasons are not the real intention. They denigrate Islam and Muslims on every occasion and fuel political and social tension and conflict in the country.
Of course, not everyone can be expected to be religious and think the same on religious issues. However, every social segment in the country must respect the sacredness of other social segments. This is imperative if we want to develop a culture of peaceful coexistence and maintain social peace.
In his testimony to the court, the cartoonist stated that "if we are going to talk about prophets, we need to use expressions such as 'Hz.' at the beginning of their names and then 's.a.v.' so that it is clearly understood that they are prophets". However, everyone knows that anti-Islamic groups absolutely refrain from using honorifics before the names of prophets. Therefore, not everyone pays attention to the use of these words in the same way. Some people do not even use expressions of respect for prophets they do not believe in.
II. The inauspicious cartoon has increased the confrontation in our country
There has been a serious confrontation in Turkish politics recently. This issue may be beyond the expectations of the people who drew and published the cartoon. However, unfortunately, we are facing a typical example of how undesirable results can occur when the necessary care is not taken on issues that need to be sensitive.
Unfortunately, even the most technical issues in the country can be taken to the political arena and discussed in a largely irrational manner. The public is mobilized into a political confrontation on almost every issue. At the end of the day, we observe together that this confrontation harms us all. Because bringing every issue to the political table causes everyone to lose. There is no winner in this struggle and conflict.
Almost every senior official in the ruling party and all ministers of the government read the cartoon as a provocation that insulted the holy sanctities of Muslims. However, some opposition parties and opposition groups emphasized the "innocence" of the cartoon. Some opposition leaders even went so far in their defense of the cartoon and the magazine that they even made comments that the cartoonist never used in his description of the cartoon. For example, they even tried to cover up the mistake by claiming that the drawings were "about angels" when no one had ever said so before.
III. There is no religious war in Gaza
The depiction of the two prophets in a conflict in Gaza is based on the claim that the ongoing massacre in the Palestinian territories is a "religious war". However, it is not correct to read what is happening in Gaza only in terms of religion. Every person of reason and conscience knows that what is happening in the Palestinian territories is not due to religious reasons, even though it is based on religious references. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a project of destruction designed by the imperialist West in the middle of the Middle East region, and the aggressor state that was established is responsible for protecting Western interests. Therefore, the security of the state of Israel is at the center of the Middle East policy of almost every Western state.
Additionally, anyone who does a simple reading on the Middle East and Palestine knows that the Palestinian people are not all Muslims. Gaza, which also harbors a significant number of Christians, is being targeted as a whole. In other words, the Zionist regime targets Christians along with Muslims. The occupation regime has destroyed many churches. Palestinians of different Christian denominations are also subjected to Israeli repression.
IV. There are no equal parties in Gaza
Unfortunately, the cartoon equates the parties to the atrocities and genocide in Gaza. There are not two symmetrical forces in Gaza. What is happening in Gaza is a one-sided conflict. There is a great asymmetry of power on the ground: On the one hand, the genocidal and racist Israeli regime, which has the full support of the great Western imperialist states, and on the other hand, the oppressed Palestinian people, for whom no state in the world can provide concrete support and help.
Yes, there is a tremendous resistance in Gaza. However, the Hamas movement and its armed wing, the Izz ad-Din Kassam Brigades, do not have the support of any state and do not have heavy weapons in their hands while defending their homeland. In addition to the weapons they built with limited means, they have light weapons they captured from enemy soldiers.
Even in his testimony in court, the cartoonist reveals his ignorance by stating that the cartoon is "about people losing their lives in mutual combat". But every conscience knows that Israeli casualties are nothing compared to Palestinian casualties. According to official figures, around 2,000 Israelis have died since October 7, while around 60,000 Palestinians have lost their lives. It should not be forgotten that the real figures are several times higher. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are still waiting to be pulled out from under the rubble and buried.
Stating that there is a reciprocity in the problem in Gaza means supporting the Zionist discourse. The cartoonist stated that the cartoon "was made to draw attention to the ordinary people who die in wars and its message is peace". First of all, we have to say that what is happening in Gaza is not a war. Since there are not two sides in Gaza, there is no war. There is no reciprocity on the ground. The Israeli occupation regime massacres tens or even hundreds of innocent people every day. These people are not on the battle front. Gazans are exposed to Israeli brutality in their tents, among the ruins and in aid queues to avoid starvation. The dead are mostly women, the elderly and children. Babies as young as a few days old or children as young as a few years old.
Reflecting the brutality in Gaza should not have been the way it was expressed in this cartoon. Therefore, even if we assume that the cartoonist had "good intentions", we must emphasize that this cartoon is a product of great ignorance.
Conclusion
The cartoon in question shows both malicious intent and great ignorance. This inauspicious cartoon can be explained neither through humor nor freedom of expression. This cartoon is an ugly attack on Islam, which unfortunately, like its counterparts in Europe, can be characterized as a product of hate speech. The only difference is that the cartoonist did this in a country where the majority of the population is Muslim.
The fact that the cartoonist does not know or care about the sensitivity of Muslims is ignorance, and the fact that he does not know what is happening in Gaza is another ignorance. The cartoonist does not know the essence of the subject he is dealing with nor how to explain it.
In short, in this sensitive period we are going through, everyone living in the country should carefully refrain from taking steps that will deepen political and social confrontations. Although the cartoonist should admit that he made a mistake and apologize to the public, his accusation that those who criticize him are "provoking the public and being provocateurs" is sheer incompetence.
The debate over this cartoon has once again shown that anti-Islam and anti-Muslim attitudes and behaviors are not sustainable. This antagonism must be abandoned. In today's world, attacks on the values of Islam and the holy places of Muslims cannot be justified. The time for normalization in this regard is long overdue.
