Morocco : French magazine Marianne Banned over Prophet Muhammad Caricature

The Moroccan authorities have banned the distribution of the latest issue of the French magazine Marianne, according to an anonymous government source quoted by the Anadolu agency.

The reason for the ban is the magazine’s publication of a caricature of Prophet Muhammad, which was considered offensive to Islam.

Morocco is a Muslim-majority country with laws that prohibit publications considered disrespectful to Islam, particularly those depicting Prophet Muhammad.

These laws aim to preserve public order and the religious sentiments of the population.

In 2020, Moroccan authorities banned the distribution of French newspapers that had republished cartoons of Prophet Muhammad originally published in Charlie Hebdo.

This decision was based on Article 31 of the Moroccan Press Law, which allows authorities to ban publications deemed disrespectful to Islam.

The publication of caricatures of Prophet Muhammad regularly causes tensions between France and some Muslim countries.

The French government traditionally defends freedom of expression, including religious satire, the official reaction of the French government to the ban of Marianne magazine in Morocco is not yet known.