I can understand that people could be shocked by the caricatures but I will never accept that violence can be justified, French President Emmanuel Macron said regarding the terrorist attacks in France. He also explained that it does not mean he supports the offensive cartoons of liberal papers, but they cannot be a reason for murder.
Beheadings cannot be justified by the boorish nature of the liberal paper’s cartoons, although he understands that it outrages Muslims. This was the conclusion of the interview Emmanuel Macron gave to Al Jazeera.
Religiously motivated terrorist attacks have re-emerged in France, but now radicals prefer beheadings instead of the previous car attacks. Although he understands that Muslims might be shocked by some caricatures, it cannot justify the murders, Mr Macron said. “I consider it our duty to protect our freedoms and our rights,” the president said, adding that he is trying to fight “radical Islam” which is a threat to all people.
In just one day, France witnessed a series of attacks in several places across the country, and in front of one of its consulates abroad….
“That does not mean that I personally support everything that is said or drawn,” the president noted, pointing out that in the countries that are now boycotting France, caricaturing religious or political leaders is out of question. Thus the conclusion of the interview is that it is the government’s duty to protect the freedom of speech, even if it goes along with allowing certain newspapers to publish outrageous content.
The new wave of terror began in France after a teacher was beheaded near Paris for showing the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published in the liberal weekly Charlie Hebdo to his pupils in class during a discussion on free speech. In fact, it has been the paper’s vocation for a long time to make caricatures of everything and everyone with any kind of religious values, including popes, Christians and Jews, but so far it has only been Muslims in France, who responded with terrorist attacks to the paper’s offensive drawings.
Such drawings include a cover with the text “God exists!” and Nazi symbols, caricatures of Pope Benedict and, of course, the cover drawing of a Muslim man kissing a cartoonist with the caption “Love: Stronger than hate.”
