Tens of thousands of people rallied in Diyarbakir, the biggest predominantly Kurdish city in Turkey’s southeastern region, on Jan. 24 to honor the Prophet Muhammad. Speakers at the event, "Lovers of the Prophet Platform," told the crowd, "Nobody can insult our religion and our prophet and then hide behind freedom of speech."

But was there more to it than religion alone?

On the cold but sunny afternoon, Diyarbakir’s centrally located Istasyon Meydani turned into a sea of green, red and black flags with Islamic slogans in Arabic script. Men and women rallied separately, with the women wearing either headscarves or the black chador, often with a green ribbon tied around their heads with Arabic text declaring, "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet."

The crowd grew fast from a few thousand at the beginning of the rally to about 50,000, making it the biggest rally in Turkey in support of the prophet since the Charlie Hebdo attacks on Jan. 7 in Paris. The masses repeatedly shouted "Tek bir!" (Only one!), pointing one finger in the air, a sign Islamists use to show they believe there is no God but Allah. Also the slogan, "May the soldiers of the prophet terrify the nonbelievers," was chanted.