Some posters on here are intentionally inflaming the rhetoric from both sides.
I agree with Macron's position on the issue of cartoons:
"Macron 'can understand' Muslims' Muhammad cartoons shock"
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he can understand why Muslims were shocked by controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
But, in an interview with broadcaster Al Jazeera, he said he could never accept the issue justified violence.
The French president said he believed strong reactions had come from Muslim nations because people had mistakenly thought that he supported the cartoons, or even that they had been created by the French state.
"I understand the sentiments being expressed and I respect them. But you must understand my role right now, it's to do two things: to promote calm and also to protect these rights," he said, referring to the freedom of expression of those who created the cartoons.
"Today in the world there are people who distort Islam and in the name of this religion that they claim to defend, they kill, they slaughter… today there is violence practised by some extremist movements and individuals in the name of Islam."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54764000
Macron clearly expressed that while he did not support the publishing or displaying of these cartoons, he, as the president, has a duty to uphold the French constitution. He also has the duty (and moral approach) to denounce violence, and seek to protect the citizens of France. He continued by explaining that he understood that the violent actions were by Islamic extremists, who have distorted Islam.
Also, the fomer Malaysian PM's comments have been selectively quoted. Let's put his comment in context by quoting more of his comment:
Muslims have a right to 'kill millions of French people' over past actions, former Malaysian PM suggests
“Macron is not showing that he is civilised. He is very primitive in blaming the religion of Islam and Muslims for the killing of the insulting school teacher,” Mr Mahathir said.
“It is not in keeping with the teachings of Islam.”
He added: “But irrespective of the religion professed, angry people kill. The French in the course of their history has killed millions of people. Many were Muslims.
“Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past.
“But by and large the Muslims have not applied the ‘eye for an eye’ law. Muslims don’t. The French shouldn’t. Instead the French should teach their people to respect other people’s feelings.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...24838.html?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=Feed
The former PM was mistaken in believing Macron was blaming Islam for the violence. He implicitly stated that the violence was the actions of extremists, not normal Muslims. Maybe his full comments might have made that obvious, but as we only have selected quotes, we can't be sure, note the article headline inflaming the issue!
The former PM clearly explained that though he believed that while Malaysians had a right to murder French people, due to the atrocities by the French, in times past, he believed that Muslims, by and large, do not, and should not behave in such a manner.
So his comments about Malaysians having a right was linked to French atrocities in the past, his current message was that Muslims are and should be moderate and respectable.
While I understand the need of some to try to exacerbate the situation, let's follow the example of both men, to uphold the rule of law, and to show respect to our fellow men, and stop trying to inflame tensions.
at times like this it's exactly what we need ,to be taught to laugh at ourselves now n again.
