Following his criticisms on Islamists, French President Emmanuel Macron was criticized by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, who said that the European leader was attacking Islam, Sunday.
Khan's comments came following the death of a French teacher who was beheaded near Paris last week, after showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in his class.
Macron defended the publication of the cartoon depicting the Islam Prophet and even stated that the teacher was killed because "Islamists want our future."
Khan's comments follow statements Macron made last week after a French teacher was beheaded near Paris after he had shown cartoons of the Prophet during a class he was leading on free speech, AFP reported via MSN.
Meanwhile, Khan slammed Macron's remarks through a series of tweets. He stated that Macron's statements will pave the way got division.
He also called out the president for creating more marginalization and polarization which may lead to radicalization. Khan stated that instead of denying space for extremists and put a healing touch on the situation, Macron's statements made the situation worse.
Moreover, Khan expressed dismay as he wrote that Macron encourages Islamophobia through his statements instead of calling out the terrorists who cause violence regardless if they are Nazi ideologists, White Supremacists, or Muslims.
This is not the first time that Macron has earned the ire of Muslims and sparked controversy. Earlier this month, the French leader also referred to Islam as a religion which is facing crisis all over the world.
Read also: France Shuts Down Mosque After Death of a Teacher Who Showed Caricatures of Prophet Muhammad
According to Yahoo! News, before the death of the French teacher, he initially became a target of online hate. Many Muslims called him out for using the cartoon of the Prophet as his lesson material. It can be noted that in 2015, the same images caused a bloody assault on the office of the cartoon's original publisher, satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, by Islamist gunmen.
The negative reactions of the Muslim community is due to the fact that caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed are forbidden in the Islamic faith.
In Pakistan, blasphemy is one very conservative issue. In the country, any form of insult to Islam or Islamic figures could result to anyone facing the death penalty.
In addition, Khan also stated that by attacking the Islamic faith, President Macron has also attacked the millions of Muslims not only in Europe but also worldwide. He also noted that Macron has no clear understanding of the religion and their beliefs.
Moreover, it can be recalled that during last month's United Nations General Assembly, Khan also slammed the republishing of the cartoon by Charlie Hebdo. Khan, who is also known for playing the hardline religious base of Pakistan called the action as "wilful provocations," The Times of India reported.
Meanwhile, following the death of the french teacher, there have also been several attacks on Muslims in France. There have been several instances when Muslims have been attacked because they were wearing veils on their head.
In an answer to the attacks, some Muslim nations have already decided to call for a boycott on goods from France.
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