French President Emmanuel Macron said on October 31 that the government has nothing to do with the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in the French press and cannot influence their authors.
“I understand the feelings of Muslims in connection with the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, but the government is not behind their publication, it comes from free and independent media, not associated with the government,” Macron said in an interview with Al-Jazeera TV.
He noted that his words were misunderstood. As a result, the representatives of the Muslim world had the feeling that he was a supporter of these cartoons.
A few days ago, a man attacked parishioners of the Notre Dame Church in Nice. Three people were killed: two women and a 55-year-old church worker.
This is the second attack in France in the past few weeks. So, on October 16, in the commune of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine near Paris, history teacher Samuel Pati was beheaded, who showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during the lessons, where the topic of freedom of speech was discussed.
After the attack, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed tightening control over the financing of mosques in the country, as well as creating an organization that would build an “enlightened Islam.” His statements provoked outrage in Turkey and a number of other countries professing Islam.
In particular, Turkish President Recep Erdogan advised the French leader to “heal his psyche”, saying that “European fascism has reached a new level.” Ankara’s harsh statements provoked the outrage of the French authorities, after which Paris recalled the ambassador from Turkey for consultations.