Mon 02 November 2020:
“The moral high ground that we invite you to, is to reject hatred, marginalisation and divisive rhetoric, and use your leadership to bring people together.”
In an open letter published on Saturday, more than 20 European Muslim organisations have called on French President Emmanuel Macron to end his “divisive rhetoric”, as the fallout between France and the Muslim world continues.
Organisations from several countries including the Netherlands, Finland and Italy said the French leader has failed to provide “strong moral leadership” following the killing of a teacher and three worshippers at a church last month.
“The moral high ground that we invite you to, is to reject hatred, marginalisation and divisive rhetoric, and use your leadership to bring people together.”
“Maligning Islam and your own Muslim citizens, closing mainstream mosques, Muslim and humanitarian rights organisations, and using this as an opportunity to stir up further hatred, has given further encouragement to racists and violent extremists,” the signatories said, urging Macron to rethink what they called his “unilateral assault on Muslims, Islam and Prophet Muhammad”.
In their letter, the signatories denounced the French government’s crackdown, including the closure of mosques and charities authorities had accused of inciting hatred, among other things.
“This opportunistic behaviour undermines the principles of the rule of law by closing down associations based on political motivations and without sound legal procedures,” they said.
Macron in recent weeks drew widespread criticism in much of the Muslim world after defending the right to caricature Prophet Muhammad after the Charlie Hebdo newspaper republished cartoons featuring the prophet in September. The Prophet Muhammad is deeply revered by Muslims and any kind of visual depiction is forbidden in Islam.
The French president reiterated his stance about the cartoons after Samuel Paty, a teacher who showed the caricatures to his pupils in class during a discussion on free speech, was beheaded by an attacker on October 16.
While Muslims in France have condemned the killing of the teacher, they have also expressed fears of collective punishment amid a government crackdown targeting Islamic organisations and attacks by vigilante groups on mosques.
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