Woman Arrested For Tweet Showing Her Stepping On Quran
A woman in Turkey has been arrested after posting a photo of her stiletto clad feet on the Quran via Twitter. The woman, who goes by the handle @kedibiti, was tracked down after the mayor of Ankra, Melih Gokcek, filed a legal complaint against her.
“No one has a right to insult our religion,” Gokcek wrote on Twitter, and he also posted the original photo. Turkey has a large Muslim population and the divide between various religious sectors has led to violence in the past.
In the Middle East, feet are often considered unclean, and often have to be pointed away from religious relics. Standing or laying shoes on something is typically considered a sign of disrespect. The Quran says that only those who are clean should touch the sacred text and it should not be placed on one’s lap or held below the waist.