French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has sparked controversy with its latest cartoon on Iran targeting Islamists and the country’s violent crackdown on women’s protests. Iran on Wednesday condemned an “objectionable” caricature of the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The magazine has previously hit headlines when it published another controversial, ‘obscene’ cartoon ‘Joke’ of Islamists.
Two French-born al-Qaeda extremists attacked the newspaper’s office in 2015, killing 12 cartoonists, and it has been the target of other attacks over the years.
What’s so controversial about the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo?
The January issue of Charlie Hebdo featured the winners of a recent cartoon contest in which participants were asked to create the most offensive caricature of Khamenei, who has been Iran’s leader since 1989. The competition was organized as a show of support for the anti-government protests taking place in Iran. Some of the winning entries depict Khamenei as a cleric reaching for the executioner’s noose, drowning in blood, while others show him clutching a giant throne above protesters, who raise their fists. Other entries depict more vulgar and sexually explicit scenes.
review de press par @omarsouleimane |”History D #महसाअमिनी Nest pas moines violente que selle du tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi. I immediately give a special expression to the well-being of women who pay billions. Comment explorer?” https://t.co/PIAcPF5ZBp— Charlie Hebdo (@Charlie_Hebdo_) January 5, 2023
Le numero de la semen est a retrouver chez voter marchand de Jarnox or sur https://t.co/5SPrx5RObP , pic.twitter.com/zdhEXXzVy5— Charlie Hebdo (@Charlie_Hebdo_) January 4, 2023
Iran’s foreign minister slammed the French government
Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabadolhian, promised a “decisive and effective response” to the publication of the cartoons, which he believes insulted Iran’s religious and political authorities. The French government has previously criticized the privately owned magazine for raising tensions, but has also defended the right to freedom of expression. Iran has been facing widespread protests for the past four months due to the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict Islamic dress code.
Women’s protest in Iran and subsequent action
The protests, which have been led by women and include calls for the overthrow of Iran’s ruling clerics, pose one of the biggest threats to their rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Charlie Hebdo, which has previously published offensive cartoons about dead child migrants, virus victims, neo-Nazis, the Pope, Jewish leaders and other public figures, claims to be an advocate of democracy and free expression, but often uses French hate speech push the boundaries of the law with sexually explicit caricatures that target a wide range of groups. The magazine faced criticism for reprinting a caricature of Islam’s prophet Muhammad, originally published by a Danish magazine in 2005, deemed profane and highly harmful to Muslims worldwide. Although many Muslims still condemned the violent reaction to the picture.
(With PTI inputs)