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France’s foreign minister said during a visit to Doha on Thursday that his country’s policies against extremism had been misrepresented and were not Islamophobic.
Paris has faced criticism over a bill designed to crack down on Islamist radicalism that toughens rules on religious education and polygamy after a series of attacks attributed to extremists.
Jean-Yves Le Drian said that after the attacks, “our positions and statements (on the fight against extremism) were largely distorted and misrepresented as part of a campaign against our country.”
“[Our position] “They could have been misinterpreted by believers who might have felt that their beliefs were not being respected,” Le Drian, in Doha for an official one-day visit, told a news conference.
“We have the utmost respect for Islam,” added the French foreign minister, who has cultivated close ties with Middle Eastern leaders under the presidencies of Emmanuel Macron and François Hollande.
Tensions flared between France and some Muslim countries over President Macron’s statements in October defending the right to publish cartoons, including those of the Prophet Muhammad, and suggesting that Islam was “in crisis.”
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While Qatar did not directly criticize France, some prominent Qatari retailers have instituted boycotts of French products in response to the comments.
The Qatari Foreign Minister, speaking with Le Drian, said that “violent extremism is not connected or linked to any religion.”
“We must firmly oppose Islamophobic discourse, just as the world opposes all forms of racist rhetoric,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
‘Law of freedom’
Muslims around the world have protested Macron’s vehement defense of freedom of expression and the right to make fun of religion after a French school teacher who showed his class the cartoons was assassinated in October.
The French government on Wednesday defended the bill cracking down on Islamist radicalism as a “freedom law” after a torrent of criticism from Muslim countries and expressions of concern from the United States.
“This bill is not a text directed against religions or against the Muslim religion in particular,” Prime Minister Jean Castex told reporters on Wednesday after the cabinet approved a text to present to parliament.
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Analysts have said that the long-term impact of the controversy would hinge on France’s next steps.
Dozens of prominent French brands are active in Qatar, including construction companies, retailers and luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, loved in the rich, gas-rich nation.
French masterpieces in Qatar include the Jean Nouvel-designed National Museum in Doha, the signage system in the new metro, and a Galeries Lafayette department store stall.
Qatar is also a major buyer of French military equipment with its order for 36 Rafale fighter jets worth € 8.7 billion, according to the Military Balance survey by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
