On 16 October 2020, a school teacher in France namely Samuel Paty was killed, as reports said he was teaching “Freedom Of Expression” to his students, in which he used an example of Charlie Hebdo Magazine’s disrespective cartoon for Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) which was published in 2015 and was against the Muslims belief and hurted their religious sentiments. It was the same cartoon after which a terror attack occur in Paris in 2015. That attack result in killing of 11-15 people.
Why Muslims are angry on France
Prophet Mohammed is the prophet in Islam and is the most important religious figure whose visual depiction is not allowed or completely forbidden in Islam. Charlie Hebdo magazine did an opposite belief act. The magazine made a cartoon of Prophet Mohammed where they show a turban of bomb shape over the head which has a fuse over it. Muslims believed that it goes against the Islam and it falsely depict negative image of Islam.
Cartoon of Prophet in France (Beheading)
On 02 Sep 2020, a trial of this attack occurs and again on 25 Sep 2020, an attack was done on Charlie Hebdo magazine old office in Paris. As after attack in 2015, Hebdo now publish their magazine secretly. After this on 16 October attack on school happened where a student namely Chechen Abdullakh Anzorov who was just only a 18 year old refugee boy from Chechnya. The Murderer said that he took a revenge on behalf of Prophet Mohammed as teacher defame the prophet. Also the murderer made a tweet by saying that he took revenge.
After this the France President Macron gave a Legion d’honneur to the teacher. This is highest civilian award which is given in France. As per the Macron this attack is not only on human but an attack on French values. He used a term of “Islamist Separatism” by which he mean that this there is practice of separatism by the Muslims in France.
To reduce this religious extremism, Macron passes several reform. He said that there will be ban on foreign Imams to enter France, also all the Imams of France would have to take a certificate from the country. Also more surveillance will be done on those who follow this extremist religious ideology. France has decided that they will pass a bill in December which will strengthen the bill of 1905 which separate the religion from government. Now religion will be separated from state, education, government etc.
What does Blasphemy means
Blasphemy is the action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things. In Arab this blasphemy can result in hanging to a person who do this act. In India if anyone do this act then under section of 295 he will be jailed for three years. Many muslims countries condemn blasphemy and they have different laws for punishment in this case.
What is Boycott France campaign
Turkish president opposes this act by saying that Macron is supporting anti Islamic act and support fascism. He said Macron need ‘mental treatment’. Many even boycott the French Products. Qatar University cancels the French culture weeks. Iraq, Syria, Libya even made protest. Even Pakistan PM Imran Khan tweet that Macron is encouraging anti Muslims sentiments. Meanwhile, online campaign was widely seen across world on social media in which millions of people used #BoycottFrance #BoycottFrenchProducts and similar hashtags.
Attacks in France being falsely blame to Muslims
As per the TRT report, Attacks in the French cities of Avignon and Lyon last week were falsely reported in some western media outlets as having been perpetrated by Muslims. The assailant in Avignon was actually part of a far-right group and even performed a Nazi salute during the attack but the French media was quick to report that he had been shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’. After the Lyon attack that targeted a Greek Orthodox priest. The media again falsely claimed that the suspect shouted ‘ Allahu Akbar’. It is now being reported as a ‘possible personal motive’.”
Now after these false reports several tweets were seen where most of the people were against this false media reporting. Alike Indian media’s wide section of mainstream media which termed as Godi Media by Ravish Kumar, similarly media in France are now trying to target Muslims by their false blames. Those who kill innocent humans it is considered as inhuman act in Islam and “killing of one innocent mean killing of whole humanity” this is what Islam teaches. But majority of media throughout the world trying to defame Muslims by their false statement and false claims which made false perception of Islam in the world as terrorist.
Syed Khalid Niyazi Shah is an author at The Chenab Times.