#Trending: Who is Muhammad?

#Trending: Who is Muhammad?
Part of a regular blog on what Arabs are talking about on social media. Visit us on Twitter @alaraby_en or comment at facebook.com/AlAraby.en
3 min read
15 Jan, 2015

A week after the deadly attack on Charlie Hebdo, a new defiant issue of the French satirical magazine was published yesterday. Reports and images of people queuing in Paris to get their latest copy has been all over the news. The controversial weekly used an image of Prophet Muhammad crying and holding a sign saying "Je Suis Charlie" and under the banner "All Is Forgiven".

Meanwhile on social media, over half a million tweets speaking of Prophet Muhammad also emerged over the past 48 hours. Tweeters used the hashtag #WhoIsMuhammad to represent what Muhammed means to them, who he was, and what his teachings were, especially when wronged. The hashtag was trending in the UK yesterday, and worldwide today.

The reaction was an interesting rejoinder to the response to the publication in 2005 in a Danish newspaper of cartoons poking fun at the Prophet. Then people across the Muslim world took to the streets in protests, and Danish products were boycotted. This time, Muslims instead reflected on the meaning of their prophet to them.

Below is a sample of the tweets.

Teachings:

 




His person:

 


It wasn't just Muslims that tweeted using #WhoIsMuhammad, non-Muslims following the trending hashtag expressed their views on it.


So what does Prophet Mohammed mean to you?

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