France urges Arab countries to stop boycotting French products

The French Foreign Ministry said non-founded “calls for the boycott of goods are “marked by a radical minority”.

Meanwhile, protests have been held in Libya, Syria and the Gaza Strip, the BBC broadcast.

The protests were prompted by comments by President Macron, following the terrible murder of a teacher in France who showed the cartoons of Prophet Muhammad during an hour of learning.

President Macron said the teacher, Samuel Payy, “was killed because Islamists want our future”, but France “will not abandon” cartoons.

The publication of images of Prophet Muhammad can cause serious insult to Muslims, because Islamic tradition clearly prohibits the images of Muhammad.

But secularism is essential to France's national identity.

Banning freedom of expression to protect the feelings of a particular community, according to the French state, undermines unity.

On Sunday, Macron strengthened his stand in defense of French values through a post on the social Facebook network, writing: “We will never surrender”.

Political leaders in Turkey and Pakistan have attacked President Macron, charging that he is not respecting “trust freedom” by marginalising millions of Muslims in France.

On Sunday, Turkish President Reccep Tayip Erdogan said that Macron should seek “mind control” for his views on Islam.

Erdogan's comments prompted France to withdraw its ambassador to Turkey for consultations.

How widespread is the boycott of French products?

Some supermarket shelves had been emptied of French products in Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait.

In Kuwait, a major retail business union has ordered a boycott of French goods.

The Union said it has issued the directive in response to the “repeated remarks” against the Prophet Muhammad.

In a statement, France's Foreign Ministry said “These calls for boycotts are unfounded and must be stopped immediately, as well as all attacks against our country, which are being postponed by a radical minority. ”

In other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, too, have circulated calls on the internet to boycott French products.

An online label calling for the boycott of the chain of French supermarkets é Carrefour was the second most popular label in Saudi Arabia, the largest economy of the Arab world.

Meanwhile, small anti-French protests were held in Libya, Gaza and northern Syria, where Turkish-backed militias exercise control.

How did it get to this situation?

The powerful defense that Macro is making against French secularism and criticism of radical Islam following the murder of teacher Patty has angered some in the Muslim world.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked in a speech: “what is the problem of the individual named Macro with Islam and Muslims?

Meanwhile, Pakistani leader Imran Khan accused the French leader of “assault on Islam “.

President Macro has attacked and hurt the feelings of millions of Muslims in Europe and around the world” He tweeted.

French Muslims fear that the state intends to control their faith.

Earlier this month, prior to the teacher's murder, Macron had already announced plans for stricter laws to address what he called the “Islamic separatism” in France.

He has said a minority of France's six million Muslims were at risk of forming a “anti-Society”, describing Islam as a religion “in crisis”.

Macron has said his government is working with the country's top Muslim representatives to build a “Islam of Enlightenment”, which could be “in peace with Republika”.

The cartoons of the Muslim prophet have a dark and highly political heritage in France.

France's president, Emmanuel Macron, was addressing the media after visiting the location where a teacher was killed.

In 2015, 12 people were killed in an attack on offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, who had published cartoons.

Some in the largest Muslim community of Western Europe have accused Macrono of trying to suppress their religion and say his campaign risks legitimising Islamophobia.

In mid-October, an alleged Islamist has beheaded a history teacher who, in an hour of learning, has shown the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

France's president, Emmanuel Macro, has called “Islamic terrorist attack” the teacher's murder.

They won't win... We'll act”, He said Macro when he visited the murder site.

The attacker, Russia - born Chechen, lived in the town of Evra, northwest Paris.

He has not been known for intelligence services before. /rel