Boycott of French products in Libya and Tunisia
French products become persona non grata in some Muslim countries. French flags burnt by an angry crowd. As in Libya, demonstrators have shown their irritation, all over the Muslim world, following French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments on Islam.
After the assassination of the teacher Samuel Paty, beheaded in an attack for showing caricatures of the Prophet Muhamed in his classes, Emmanuel Macron had promised that France would continue to defend the caricatures of the last messenger of Allah. Words that many found offensive and revolting, which aroused indignation, especially in the Muslim world. Several demonstrations were organized around the world, such as in the Libyan city of Tripoli.
“We are a nation whose leader is Mouhamed (peace and blessings be upon him!), And we will not accept that Macron and France will be defeated”, exclaims Ibrahim Mohamed, who came to testify his discontent on the main square of the Martyrs.
Emmanuel Macron had already been criticized in the Muslim world, in particular by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who two weeks ago denounced the declarations of the French President on “Islamist separatism” and the need to “structure Islam” in France, while the French executive presented its future bill on this subject. The Turkish President then questioned the mental health of Emmanuel Macron.
Calls to boycott French products are now increasing in Libya, Tunisia, and Kuwait on social networks, under the hashtag “Boycott France Products”.
France called on Sunday evening the governments of the countries concerned to “stop” calls to boycott French products and to demonstrate, coming from a “radical minority”, also asking them to “ensure the safety” of the French living on their soil.
In addition, Emmanuel Macron himself tweeted shortly after: “Freedom, we cherish it; equality, we guarantee it; fraternity, we live it with intensity. Nothing will make us back down, ever”. “We will continue. We respect all differences in a spirit of peace. We never accept hate speech and stand for reasonable debate,” he added, including in Arabic and English.
