Chennai, April 4: After Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaat (TNTJ), a Muslim outfit, protested publication of a drawing purportedly depicting Prophet Muhammed in a Tamil weekly, the magazine's publisher apologized profusely. The magazine Mutharam from Kungumam group of publications was reportedly taken off newsstand shelves immediately. The publisher apologized in the next issue for hurting religious sentiments.
Hundreds of volunteers of TNTJ thronged the weekly’s office in Mylapore here last fortnight after the magazine carried what is purportedly a drawing of Prophet Muhammad along with a three-page life story of him written by one Athanur Chozhan. The publication of the drawing had created furore among sections of Muslims across the state.
“We immediately contacted the magazine office and expressed displeasure over publishing such an image along with distorted information on the Prophet who is revered by Muslims across the globe as God’s messenger,” said Mr Ansari, headquarters secretary, TNTJ told this journalist.
As hundreds of volunteers gathered in front of the magazine office, the representatives of the magazine has assured them that the distribution of the magazine in the market was already stopped.
“Realising our mistake, we immediately stopped the distribution of the magazine in the market. We have assured the protestors that an apology would be carried in the next issue of the magazine,” said one of the editorial committee members of the magazine.
In an apology letter given to the TNTJ, the magazine editor has said that it was an inadvertent mistake and would be rectified by carrying an apology in the forthcoming issue.
Some Muslim outfits in Thanjavur and other parts of the state agitated against the magzine. As the magazine is more subscription-based, the outfits have insisted on carrying an apology in the next issue.
The magazine lived up to its promise and carried a profound apology in its next issue on the edit page.
