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PARIS: France has warned its citizens living or traveling in several Muslim-majority countries to take extra security precautions due to a wave of anger over cartoons of the prophet Muhammad displayed in a French school.
French officials asserted their right to display the cartoons in an act of defiance after an 18-year-old student of Chechen origin beheaded a high school teacher for showing the images to his students as part of a civics lesson.
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The cartoons were considered blasphemous by Muslims, and in several Muslim countries, there have been rhetorical attacks against French leaders accusing them of being anti-Islamic and calling for a boycott of French products.
The website of the French Foreign Ministry on Tuesday (October 27) brought new security tips to citizens in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iraq and Mauritania, warning them to be careful.
Furthermore, the French embassy in Turkey issued similar advice to its citizens there. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been one of the most vociferous critics of the French government.
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The warnings said French citizens should stay away from any protests over the cartoons and avoid public gatherings.
“In this context, it is recommended to exercise the greatest vigilance, especially during travel, and in places frequented by tourists or expatriate communities,” the warnings indicated.
