Iran Press/ Asia: Calls to boycott French goods are growing around the world after President Emmanuel Macron's comments against Islam and Muslims.
Macron on Wednesday accused Muslims of separatism and vowed not to give up cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammed, TRT World reported.
The leader's comments came in response to the beheading of a teacher, Samuel Paty, a 47-year-old teacher, who was attacked on his way home from the junior high school where he taught in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, 40 kilometers northwest of Paris.
On Sunday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned Macron's statements on Twitter.
"It is unfortunate that he has chosen to encourage Islamophobia by attacking Islam rather than the terrorists who carry out violence, be it Muslims, White Supremacists or Nazi ideologists. Sadly, President Macron has chosen to deliberately provoke Muslims, including his own citizens, through encouraging the display of blasphemous cartoons targeting Islam & our Prophet PBUH."
“Hallmark of a leader is he unites human beings, as Mandela did, rather than dividing them. This is a time when President Macron could have put healing touch & denied space to extremists rather than creating further polarisation & marginalisation that inevitably leads to radicalisation,” Imran Khan added.
“Through encouraging the display of blasphemous cartoons targeting Islam & our Prophet PBUH. By attacking Islam, clearly without having any understanding of it, President Macron has attacked & hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims in Europe & across the world,” he said in another tweet.
Turkey's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun on Sunday said the EU is increasingly becoming dangerous for Muslims.
In a series of tweets, he said that offensive caricatures, separatism against Muslims, and mosque raids isn’t about freedom of expression, but its about reminding Muslims they will never belong in EU.
"Here’s what Europeans against Islam and Muslims need to understand, We won't go away because you don’t want us, We won't turn the other cheek when you insult us, We will defend ourselves and our own at all costs."
Europe’s hostility towards Muslims and efforts to ‘discipline’ them is inseparable from the increasingly widespread hostility towards Islam, Turkey and our president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” Altun said.
Also on Sunday, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said: "When truth is spoken to their faces, Europe’s loser racists show up and try to exploit Islamophobia and xenophobia. Time has come to stop Europe’s spoiled politicians with fascist mindset."
Meanwhile, Egypt's world renowned Islamic institution denounced Macron's remarks about Islam.
Scholars at Al Azhar University on Sunday called Macron's statement 'racist.'
They say that the French President's remarks have nothing to do with the true essence of Islam.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday slammed Macron over his policies toward Muslims, saying that the French president needed "mental checks."
"What can one say about a head of state who treats millions of members from different faith groups this way: first of all, have mental checks," Erdogan said in a televised address.
On Saturday, Jordan's foreign ministry said it condemned the "continued publication of caricatures of Prophet Muhammed under the pretext of freedom of expression" and any "discriminatory and misleading attempts that seek to link Islam with terrorism."
It did not directly criticize Macron.
Jordan's opposition Islamic Action Front party called on the French president to apologize for his comments and urged citizens in the kingdom to boycott French goods.
Such boycotts are already underway in Kuwait and Qatar.
214
Read More:
Iranian Army condemns blasphemous act of French magazine
Iranian nation condemns sacrilage of Holy Quran, Holy Prophet(PBUH) in West
Protesters urge France embassy to shut down (Updated)
