India has come out strongly in support of France which has been receiving severe backlash from Muslim countries after President Emmanuel Macron declared war against radical Islamic terrorism following the beheading of a teacher by a Muslim immigrant terrorist two weeks ago.
In an official statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs said that it “strongly deplores the personal attacks in unacceptable language on President Emmanuel Macron in violation of the most basic standards of international discourse”.
Press Statement on personal attacks in unacceptable language on French President Emmanuel Macron
— India in France (@Indian_Embassy) October 28, 2020
Communiqué de presse sur les attaques personnelles dans un langage inacceptable contre le président français Emmanuel Macron
Full statement 👉: https://t.co/L0vx9YM0vS@MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/SzjjymCNYA
The Ministry of External Affairs, also condemned “the brutal terrorist attack that took the life of a French teacher in a gruesome manner that has shocked the world”.
The Modi government also offered its condolences to the family of the deceased and the people of France. “There is no justification for terrorism for any reason or under any circumstance,” the MEA statement added.
The controversy erupted over the beheading of a school teacher Samuel Paty in a suburb of Paris by Islamic terrorist after he had shown caricatures of Prophet Mohammad. The 47-year-old Paty was beheaded by an 18-year-old Chechen Muslim.
Following the terror attack on French teacher in Paris last week and the subsequent actions of the French residents to publicly display ‘blasphemous’ Charlie Hebdo cartoons, French President had reacted strongly against the Islamic terror attack and had also vowed that France would stick to its secular traditions and laws guaranteeing freedom of speech which allow publications such as the virulently anti-religion Charlie Hebdo to produce cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
Islamic countries attack France, calls for boycott
However, the historic speech by Macron and his pronouncements to tackle Islamic terror has infuriated many Islamic countries, with many Islamic countries, especially Turkey and Pakistan took the lead to denounce the French President.
Lashing out at Macron for saying that Islam is in crisis all over the world, Turkish President had started a war of words with French President and had stated, “What is the problem of this person called Macron with Muslims and Islam? Macron needs treatment on a mental level…”.
After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hit out at French President Emmanuel Macron for his alleged Islamophobic comments, Islamists around the world had come forward to boycott French products.
Pakistanis, who are perennially unemployed, took to Twitter to trend #boycottfranceproducts. Even Muslims in the Middle East and the Arab world have joined Pakistanis in their calls for boycotts of French products. Shops in Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and the Palestinian territories have started taking French products off their shelves.
Not just Muslims in the Arab world but even radical Islamic organisations in India such as Raza Academy had initiated a campaign demanding that Muslim countries issue a fatwa against French President Emmanuel Macron for displaying cartoons on Prophet Mohammed by Charlie Hebdo were projected onto government buildings.
India expresses solidarity with France
As France continued to get attacked by Islamic countries over its resolve to fight the radical Islamic terror, Indians stood in solidarity with France and its people earlier this week.
Several Indian social media users expressed their support to France and trended #IStandWithFrance. Several social media users tweeted with this hashtag people to convey their support to Macron’s strong decision to take a stand against extremism in France.
Overwhelmed by India’s support, French leaders thanked India and Indians for showing support against anti-French sentiments. French Nationalist leader Marine Le Pen took to Twitter thanking India and to its government for extending its support to France at a time when the country is facing intimidation to give up its values.
She shared a link to a report on how Indians came in support of France in response to the calls to boycott French products.
Merci à l’Inde 🇮🇳 et à son gouvernement qui viennent d’apporter leur soutien à la France confrontée à des intimidations pour renoncer à ses valeurs. 🙏 MLP#StandWithFrancehttps://t.co/DFeMOmAWyN pic.twitter.com/nPOsD2qvVu
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) October 26, 2020
Even other French politicians and political activists joined in thanking Indian for supporting France.
Thanks INDIA ! 🇮🇳 🇫🇷 🙏🏼#standwithFrance
— Damien Rieu (@DamienRieu) October 25, 2020
Samuel Paty, a school teacher, was publicly beheaded by a radical Islamist for showing a caricature of Prophet Muhammad to his students. He was beheaded by a Russian refugee Abdoullakh Abouyezidovitch who was inspired by an online campaign that was run against Paty for alleged blasphemy.