French President Emmanuel Macron appears too eager to score political points by demeaning Islam. His agenda is shallow and myopic. He fails to realize that his provocative pronouncements against Islam would stoke more European racism and extremism, without bringing him the leadership glory he desperately seeks.
As president of a major European nation, Macron has miserably failed to show true leadership in these difficult times globally.
His role in the controversy surrounding the offensive anti-Islamic caricatures, smacks of both political opportunism and Macron’s personal disregard for the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims.
The Islamic faith is not complete without due reverence accorded to its prophets who include Jesus, Moses and Abraham. Any insult against any prophet, let alone against the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), is considered unacceptable and intolerable in Islam.
Muslims value freedom of speech but they reject the notion of freedom to insult and the indecent provocations that have become a mark of identify for extremists across Europe.
Macron openly indulged in incitement in calling Islam a problematic religion, with zero realization how problematic his own nation has been throughout its history and fails to learn the lessons of the past. One can see Macron’s carelessness, even utter foolishness, in his words and actions in engaging with Muslims, but it is apparent that the French leader is suffering from something more serious.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been outspoken about what is wrong with Macron and most Muslims around the world agree with him.
“What is Macron’s problem with Islam and Muslims? He needs mental health treatment,” Erdoğan said after the French leader said Islam was in crisis.
Erdoğan is right in saying that France and Europe “do not deserve the vicious, provocative, hateful policies of Macron and those who follow the same mentality.”
French double standards are legendary when it comes to democracy, freedoms, and human rights.
Macron and his kind may feel extremely upset when their culture is attacked but they have no compunction in assaulting other people’s beliefs, values and culture.
A true and great leader ought to exhibit his composed temperament in times of crisis. But Macron has been disastrous in dealing with problems in France and abroad. He has responded with brutal force to suppress the French protest movement demanding economic and social justice.
The French leader thinks being provocative about Islam would be his route out of the domestic crises, but he is mistaken.
A confrontation with the Muslim world would create hostility towards French culture and businesses. Shocked by growing public calls for boycotting French businesses, Macron’s diplomats have been active in trying to calm the situation. Surely, France doesn’t want to become another Israel in Muslim public opinion although Western stooges in control of some Muslim countries have been hobnobbing with the Israelis in defiance of popular sentiments.
In trying to present himself as a cultural warrior of some kind, the French president spoke of a history of “a struggle against tyranny and fanaticism.” He wants to use the labels of tyranny and fanaticism against Muslims, but both French history and contemporary conduct show the level of hypocrisy in his words.
The history of France is full of genocidal wars, plunder, colonialism, cruelty and racism on Muslim lands. Instead of repenting and rectifying their conduct, Macron and his supporters are showing new boldness in trying to renew conflicts.
Such attempts will have serious consequences for France’s relations with Muslim countries as well as create new problems in France’s tormented and unjust society.
