PARIS (FRANCE) – The French government on Tuesday warned its citizens living or travelling in Muslim-dominant nations to take extra security precautions in the wake of mounting anger over cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad.
While Saudi Arabia slammed the caricatures, it resisted from heeding the calls of other Muslim nations to boycott French products.
It all began with the beheading of a teacher outside a school in a Parisian suburb on Oct. 16 by an 18-year-old Chechen. He killed the teacher for showing his pupils cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad in a civics class on freedom of speech. Any depiction of the prophet is considered blasphemous by Muslims.
The French foreign ministry on Tuesday issued safety advisory to its citizens in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iraq and Mauritania, advising them to be vigilant and to stay away from protest venues and other public gatherings.
“It is recommended to exercise the greatest vigilance, especially while travelling, and in places that are frequented by tourists or expatriate communities,” it said.
In a similar vein, the French embassy in Turkey advised its citizens there.
One of the most vociferous critics of the French government is Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and he is leading the calls for a boycott of French products.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin warned that Turkey and Pakistan should not meddle in the internal affairs of France.
France recalled its envoy in Turkey and Pakistan’s parliament on Monday passed a resolution urging the government to recall its ambassador from Paris.
The cartoons of the prophet first appeared in a satirical magazine published from Paris years ago and its offices were attacked by Islamic terrorists in 2015, killing 12 people.
Since the beheading of the teacher, the cartoons have been displayed in France to express solidarity with the victim, infuriating Muslims.
President Emmanuel Macron met the representatives of the Muslim community in the country on Monday and vowed to fight “Islamist separatism”, which he said was threatening to take over some communities in the country.
Saudi Arabia has adopted a moderate approach to the controversy and has remained aloof from boycott calls.
On Tuesday, a Saudi foreign ministry official condemned all acts of terror, in an apparent reference to the beheading of the teacher.
“Freedom of expression and culture should be a beacon of respect, tolerance and peace that rejects practices and acts which generate hatred, violence and extremism and are contrary to coexistence,” the official said in a statement.
The daily Arab News on Tuesday quoted the head of the Saudi-based Muslim World League, Mohammed al-Issa, as saying that an over-reaction “that is negative and goes beyond what is acceptable” would only benefit “haters”.
Appeals to boycott French supermarket chain Carrefour on social media were trending on social media in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. In Kuwait, some supermarkets removed French products from the racks.
Erdogan appealed to his compatriots on Monday to boycott French products and blamed France for following an anti-Islam agenda.
France is a big exporter of foodgrain to Muslim-majority NorthAfrica, and French companies in the autos and retail sectors have significant stakes in such countries.
French Trade Minister Franck Riester said it was too early to gauge the impact of a boycott campaign.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned the French charge d’affaires to express concerns over the cartoons, said state media on Tuesday.
According to a ministry official, Iran strongly rejected “any insult and disrespect to the Prophet of Islam”.
There were protests in Bangladesh on Monday during which agitators held placards with the image of the French president and the words: “Macron is the enemy of peace”.
