A religious textbook by the Turkish Ministry of Education, which was distributed today in northern Syria, angered locals as it contained images of the Prophet Muhammad, and many did not hesitate to burn the books.
Although the depiction of Muhammad is not explicitly forbidden in the Qur’an, many Muslims consider it a blasphemy and disapprove of it.
In the textbook, which is aimed at children living in Turkish-controlled areas of Syria, there is an illustration showing a bearded man, dressed in a pink sweater and burgundy pants, kneeling to welcome his daughter coming down from a school bus.
“The prophet welcomes his daughter, Fatima,” reads the text on the same page, although this phrase is not explicitly associated with the image.
In the town of Jarablus, near the border with Turkey, residents burned all copies of the book they could find, according to locals and photos posted on social media sites. “We were surprised this morning when we saw that these manuals (…) contained images of the Prophet,” and “we burned all the books,” Mustafa Abdulhak, a resident of Jarablus, told AFP.
In other Ankara-controlled areas, such as Al Bab, residents warned that they would protest tomorrow if the books were not recalled.
Turkey and its allies have taken control of Syrian territory during a number of military operations they have organized since 2016. The Turkish pound is used as a currency in these areas, and Ankara has built hospitals, post offices and schools teaching the Turkish language.
Jumaa Kazkaz, al-Bab’s top education official, said the textbooks came from neighboring Turkish provinces of Gaziantep, Kilis and Sanliurfa. “Talks are underway with the Directorate of Education in Gaziantep (…) to modify the program (…). We are waiting for a decision,” he commented.
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