Following the brutal comments made on Islamophobia, Emmanuel Macron President of France has said that he understands the sentiments of Muslims as they are deeply shaken because of the caricatures depicting Prophet Mohammed.
However, he added that he is aiming to battle the so-called “radical Islam” which is apparently dangerous to people of all faiths, especially Muslims.
The remarks, reported by Al Jazeera, have come amidst the growing hate for Macron in the world over his hate-filled comments and support for the offensive cartoons that tried to portray Prophet Mohammed.
“I understand the sentiments being expressed and I respect them. But you must understand my role right now, it’s to do two things: to promote calm and also to protect these rights,” Macron said.
He further said he will safeguard his country’s rights over speech, written work, and drawings to voice their opinions.
Macron put out that his words were “distorted” and people believed that he supported the caricatures, which according to him, isn’t so.
He also said that he was trying to save the rights of the citizens, highlighting the fact that the cartoons weren’t owned by the government but took birth in an independently functioning news agency that isn’t connected to the French government.
The President was responding in relation to the hatred he received after his comments on the Charlie Hebdo magazine’s cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed. The magazine had republished its work on the first day of the trial in court for the 2015 attack on it workers. The attack was found to be due to the cartoons.
In September when the caricatures were getting republished, Macron had spoken about the “right to blaspheme” which is provided to French citizens in the free speech rights policy.
He was then subjected to criticism from the world over his October 2nd’s comments of Islam “in crisis globally” along with his plan to “reform Islam” so as to make it fit with the different republican perceptions of the country.
He gave out similar statement again after October 16th when a professor was beheaded by an attacker as he showed the caricatures of Prophet Mohammed to his students during a free speech class.
Standing in support of the professor, many French-led outmarches carrying the cartoons. French government buildings too displayed the same.
Macron speech has burst the patience bubble of the Muslims world inviting a backlash from hundreds of thousands of people, right from Pakistan to Bangladesh and from Palestine to India. Many people also called upon the boycott of French products and brands, with Kuwait making the first move of wiping French products from all its malls.
The cartoons in question linked Islam to terrorism and are considered Islamophobic with Prophet Mohammed, the human of greatest importance to Muslims, being depicted in them.
Macron said that some followers of Islam “kill slaughter” people in the name of religion He added that this is a problem as Muslims form the majority of the victims. There are over 80% Muslims who fall prey to terrorism and this becomes problematic for all, he added.
The country witnessed another attack when a man with a knife killed three people at a church in Nice, with some saying that he shouted “Allahu Akbar” while executing the acts.
Another attack was reported from Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, where its citizen stabbed a guard at the French Embassy, giving him minor wounds.
Many Muslim leaders of the world condemned the act and gave their condolences to the victims and families of the ones affected.
