The removal of the minaret of the Great Mosque from a photograph published by a French-language Algerian newspaper during the funeral of late President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has sparked widespread discontent, both on social media and from the media and officials. The image published by the newspaper "El Watan" depicts Bouteflika's funeral procession as it passed through the Mohammadia area in the capital, Algiers, with a change made to the background to omit the minaret of the Great Mosque.
The Ministry of Communication condemned the deletion of the minaret from the image as a "strange and unjustified" act by the newspaper, stating that what happened represents a "blatant violation of laws" and a "deviation from professional standards." Similarly, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments argued that "such violations should lead to administrative follow-ups and legal measures."
In response, the newspaper issued a statement on its website on Monday, claiming that the incident was an "unfortunate technical error unrelated to any ideological aspect," and offered its apologies to readers.
Abdel Razak Makri, president of the Movement of Society for Peace, denounced the newspaper's removal of the minaret and posted on his Facebook page, "Has hatred for the symbols of Islam reached this extent?"
The Great Mosque in Algeria is the third largest mosque in the world, following the Great Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. It is the largest mosque in Africa, and its minaret is the tallest in the world at a height of 267 meters. Locally known as the Djamaa el Djazaïr, the mosque is a project initiated by the late Bouteflika, costing over one billion dollars and taking seven years to complete. The first prayer was held in the mosque in October 2020, a year after Bouteflika stepped down following protests against his attempt to run for a fifth presidential term. The former president passed away on Friday at the age of 84.
