FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Shantanu Mukharji
There does not seem to be any abatement in the rapidly growing hostility between France and the Islamic countries over the developments following the killing of the French teacher Samuel Paty.
Paty was beheaded (October 16) by Abdullakh Anzorov, a Chechen who thought Samuel’s lessons to his students about the caricature drawn by Charlie Hebdo on Prophet Mohammad was blasphemous. Anzorov was so enraged and desperate that he stood outside the school and got Samuel identified by some Muslim children and later killed him at a suburb near Versailles. Though the Chechen was soon after killed by the French anti-terror forces, the fallout was lethal and the consequences very far reaching. France seems to be coming down heavily on the perpetrators and to prevent further recurrence of this kind, it’s imposing restrictions on religious extremists and their allied suspects. He wants Muslims to be compatible with the values of the French Republic.
The entire Muslim world looks steadfastly united against France. Anti-France protests are everywhere. Rallies attended by thousands are engaged in burning the effigy of French President Emmanuel Macron, who in the meantime, has been strident in defending the French stand of supporting the Charlie Hebdo cartoons describing them as part of the French freedom of expression. He very recently reminded the 6 million Muslims living in France to respect the liberty, equality and fraternity - the three strong pillars of the French Republic. However, if Macron and the French have hardened their stance, the Muslim nations too have waged a tirade against France on a war-footing.
Crucially, President Erdogan of Turkey has seized the opportunity of assuming the leadership of the Islamic countries by being very vocal and the ongoing exchange of acerbic allegations and counter allegations are nothing short of spewing venom on each other. Erdogan perhaps crossed all parliamentary limits of decency when he called his French counterpart Macron as a mental case requiring medical attention. Provocation has been so fiery that on October 28, Charlie Hebdo published yet another cartoon on its front page showing Erdogan in a very indecent and obscene light. This infuriated Erdogan in particular and Turkey in general.
New battle lines are now drawn and the world is vertically polarised between France and the Islamic countries. Turkey under Erdogan, who seems to have taken it as a personal affront, is leading the charge ostensibly to retain he being in the spotlight as the sole global Islamic leader. To assert his position, he described French actions as Islamophobic, xenophobic and loathsome. French diplomatic representative was called at the Turkish foreign office on October 28 and a strong protest was lodged against the new anti-Erdogan caricature appearing rather prominently in Charlie Hebdo.
Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan has also been vehemently critical of Macron charging him for Islamophobia and for imposing curbs on Muslims, banning hizabs, regulating prayers in the mosques. However, Imran’s detractors say he is so harsh primarily to divert attention from his internal challenges of political pressure of the opposition and repeated terror assaults. Also, he is blindly toeing Erdogan’s line to prove his unflinching loyalty and allegiance to him.
Meanwhile, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which has a 57-member strong conglomerate, has also comedown heavily on France against the cartoons ignoring the killing of Stephen Paty in such a grotesque manner. Similar protests are noticed in Malaysia. However, among the Muslim majority countries, Bangladesh has already given a call to boycott French merchandise and on October 27 and 28, held massive anti Macron rallies in Dhaka drawing nearly 40,000 people carrying anti Macron banners. The angry protesters burnt the effigy of Macron and called upon the government to kick out the French Ambassador posted in Bangladesh. Such acrimonious language and acts say all.
Now, the war of rhetorics apart, the religious extremist groups specially in Bangladesh, have got some issue right on their platter. This is helping them to close their rank and file and capitalise on it which will further fuel the religious fundamentalism. And, there is really a slender line between the spurt in fundamentalism and terror which the French President and other European leaders are trying to convey. Many such fundamentalist groups have been hitherto lying dormant but may now resurface unless the tenor of attrition and belligerence die down. Sadly, as of now, there doesn’t seem to be any let up.
In the meantime, India has expressed its support to President Macron on his stand to contain terror. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) while deploring the gruesome beheading of Samuel Paty, stated that there is no justification for any terrorist act. Such a gesture brings India and France further closer in their joint fight to contain terror.
Further, some Islamic scholars in India while condemning the terror linked violence in France, quoted and claimed from history that religious cartoons were always prevalent in Europe. Mumbai based activist, Feroze Mithiborwala also said that a non-violence response would have been more effective. In this light, what is glaringly lacking is the element of restraint. The war of words and tenor of the language has deepened the divide between the Islamic world and France as both are witnessing a hostile showdown. Erdogan’s most recent remark that a crusade against the Muslims has been relaunched is perhaps exaggerated and will do more harm than temper the ongoing frenzy. Coming weeks, therefore, are likely to see more protests, angry exchanges in the press and social media leading the world to a perilous juncture.
