Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei urges the French youths to question the so-called reason underpinning French President Emanuel Macrons support for insult against the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) in the name of free speech.
Addressing the youths in a statement on Wednesday, the Leader advised, Ask your president why he supports insulting Gods Messenger in the name of freedom of expression.
Does freedom of expression mean insulting, especially a sacred personage? Ayatollah Khamenei asked.
In His Name
Young French people!
Ask your President why he supports insulting Gods Messenger in the name of freedom of expression. Does freedom of expression mean insulting, especially a sacred personage? Isnt this stupid act an insult to the reason of the ppl who elected him?
Last Wednesday, Macron supported a French teachers displaying of cartoons insulting Prophet Muhammad in his class. France will never renounce caricatures, Macron declared, defending the teacher for promoting freedom.
The teacher, Samuel Paty, was murdered by an 18-year-old Chechen assailant. Commenting on the attack, Macron described Islam as a religion in crisis worldwide, trying to suggest that the assailant had been motivated to kill the teacher by the faith rather than radicalism.
Macron insisted on his position again on Sunday by tweeting, We will not give in, ever. The Leader called the French statesmans insolence a stupid act that served to affront the reason of the very people, who have voted him to power.
Ayatollah Khamenei, meanwhile, asked how come -- from Frances perspective -- questioning the Holocaust was a crime that warranted imprisonment, while insulting Prophet Muhammad could be condoned.
The next question to ask is: why is it a crime to raise doubts about the Holocaust? Why should anyone who writes about such doubts be imprisoned while insulting the Prophet (pbuh) is allowed?
Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) October 28, 2020
The French head of states effrontery has opened the floodgates of backlash from Muslims around the world, with numerous Muslim states and peoples issuing condemnatory statements against Macron or rising in thousands-strong protests.
Many Muslim companies and associations have also boycotted French items in protest.