Morocco banned the distribution of the latest edition of French magazine Marianne dated Feb. 29, for containing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad deemed offensive to Muslims, according to local media citing an official source.
The source said that the sales of the issue “will not be allowed across all the kingdom because it includes offensive cartoons of the Prophet.”
It also criticized the “disrespect” shown by the French magazine towards a “basic and sensitive” issue for more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide.
The source noted that the timing of the cartoon’s publication, which coincides with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, “increases the seriousness of this act.”
The ban decision falls under Article 31 of the press and publication law, which states that “permission may not be granted for the distribution of foreign prints and periodicals if they contain insults to the Islamic religion.”
The magazine took the photo from the front page of Charlie Hebdo published in 2006 caricaturing the prophet Mohammed, with the caption “Mohammed overwhelmed by extremists” and the quote “It’s hard to be loved by idiots.”
These caricatures were the motive behind the January 7, 2015 attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, resulting in 12 deaths and 11 injuries.
Marianne Magazine is used to stir controversy in certain Muslim countries for its editorial line perceived as Islamophobic.
In 2011, Marianne published a 40-page feature under the title “France-Europe: Why Islam is scary,” presenting clichés and preconceived ideas about the religion.