Satirical French weekly Charlie Hebdo's decision to place a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad on the cover of its latest issue in response to the massacre of its staff in Paris last week by Islamic extremists has upset Japan's Muslim community, which also condemned the terrorist attack.
The Tokyo Camii & Turkish Culture Center in Shibuya Ward, the largest mosque in Tokyo and famed for its Ottoman architecture and intricate Arabic reliefs, was packed with about 600 followers Friday for its weekly noon prayer session.
A 48-year-old Japanese follower, who asked to be identified only by his Muslim name Abdullar, criticized Charlie Hebdo for using the "fundamentalism of 'freedom of expression' " to justify its repeated use of the prophet's image in cartoons, which is considered sacrilegious by Muslims.
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