The gap between Muslim nations and France is growing after French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this month that Islam was a religion in “crisis.”
Tensions escalated after French teacher Samuel Paty was killed on October 16 near his school in broad daylight. He had shown cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to his students. Since the crime, French officials were perceived to link the murder to Islam.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized Macron, saying the French leader needed “mind checks” on his attitude towards Islam.
Senior officials in the Muslim world have condemned France and Macron, including Pakistan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Iran; while tens of thousands have attended the protests and called for a boycott of French products.
Egypt says freedom of speech “stops” when Muslims offend
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said freedom of speech should stop if it offends more than 1.5 billion people, following the display of images in France of the prophet Muhammad that Muslims consider blasphemous.
“We also have rights. We have the right not to have our feelings hurt and our values not to be hurt, ”he said during a speech to mark the birthday of Prophet Muhammad.
Sisi also said that he strongly rejects any form of violence or terrorism by anyone in the name of defending religion, religious symbols or icons.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi [File: Octav Ganea/Reuters]
Malaysia Strongly Condemns French Cartoons Against Islam
Malaysia has strongly condemned the reissuing of cartoons insulting the Prophet Muhammad by the French magazine Charlie Hebdo.
“We strongly condemn any inflammatory rhetoric and provocative acts that seek to defame the religion of Islam as the world has recently witnessed in the form of populist speeches and the publication of blasphemous cartoons depicting the Holy Prophet Muhammad,” Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said. it’s a statement. .
Erdogan alleges ‘crusade’ against Islam
Turkey’s president has said that Western countries attacking Islam want to “relaunch the Crusades” when a dispute broke out between Turkey and France over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
“Now, they personally target me through a cartoon. After all these years, they want to relaunch a crusade against Islam, ”President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech, local media outlet Daily Sabah reported.
“We are a nation that respects not only our own religion, but also the values of other religions. It is our values that are being attacked, ”he added.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at Parliament in Ankara, Turkey, on October 28, 2020 [Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout/Reuters]
Charlie Hebdo faces Turkish investigation for insulting President
French magazine Charlie Hebdo faces possible charges in Turkey for insulting the Turkish president, prosecutors announced in the capital Ankara.
“An investigation was launched into the executives of Charlie Hebdo magazine for insulting the president in accordance with articles 12, 13 and 299 of the Turkish Penal Code,” a statement from prosecutors said.
Iran’s Rouhani Warns Insulting Prophet May Fuel ‘Violence’
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned on Wednesday that insulting the Prophet Muhammad may fuel “violence and bloodshed” following Paris’ defense of publishing cartoons depicting the Prophet.
Insulting the prophet is not an achievement. It is immoral. It’s encouraging violence, ”Rouhani said in a televised speech during the weekly cabinet meeting.
UK calls on NATO allies to stand up for freedom of expression
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called on NATO allies to stand shoulder to shoulder on the values of tolerance and freedom of expression, in a veiled rebuke to Turkey, which has been calling for a boycott of French products. .
“The UK stands in solidarity with France and the French people after the gruesome murder of Samuel Paty,” Raab said in a statement.
“NATO allies and the wider international community must uphold the core values of tolerance and freedom of expression shoulder to shoulder, and we must never give terrorists the gift of dividing us.”
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said ‘terrorism can never and should never be justified’ [File: Hannah McKay/Reuters]
French mosque receives threatening warning
A mosque in the Vernon district of northern France received a threat alert on Tuesday, according to a Twitter post from the Islam & Info website.
The notice, which was left in the mosque’s mailbox, contained death threats and insulting messages against Turks, Arabs, and the community who visit the mosque regularly.
“The war has started. We will get him out of our country. You will give an account of Samuel’s death,” it said.
Turkey criticizes Charlie Hebdo for ‘cultural racism’ over Erdogan’s cover
Turkey condemned Charlie Hebdo of “cultural racism” over the cover of the French satirical magazine published Wednesday that mocks President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“French President [Emmanuel] Macron’s anti-Muslim agenda is paying off! “said Fahrettin Altun, Erdogan’s communications director, describing the cartoons as” disgusting. “
“It is clearly the product of a xenophobic, Islamophobic and intolerant cultural environment that the French leadership seems to want for their country,” Altun added.
Hi. This is Usaid Siddiqui in Toronto, and I bring you the latest updates on the backlash for criticism of Islam by French President Emmanuel Macron. Here is a quick summary:
The deepening rift between France and the Muslim world continues on Wednesday.
The consequences were amplified after two events: the first was Emmanuel Macron’s speech on October 2 in which the French president said that Islam was a religion in “crisis” throughout the world; and the second was the murder of teacher Samuel Paty for displaying cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad by the controversial French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
There have also been several street protests across the Muslim world, including in Bangladesh and Gaza on Tuesday, calling on people to boycott French products.
On Wednesday Charlie Hebdo published a cartoon on its front page mocking Erdogan, which the Turkish government responded by calling it “disgusting” and “Islamophobic.”
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