First Deputy Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of Russia Damir Mukhetdinov commented on the words of French President Emmanuel Macron about the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in his conversation with radio station "Govorit Moskva".
Earlier, the French leader said that the country would not refuse to publish such image but would strengthen the fight against religious separatism.
Mukhetdinov pointed out the inconsistency of the French authorities in the struggle for democratic values.
"For some reason (French society - ed.) fights for the rights of African-Americans, fights for the position of women, LGBT community and other minorities. But for some reason, when several billions of people around the world are insulted, it is not considered an insult," Mukhetdinov said.
He called Macron's statement an attempt to shift attention from "yellow vests" strikes to Islam and Muslims.
"If we generalize that Muslims are extremists and terrorists, then, in my opinion, such generalization is not worthy of the president's words. Because it is possible to condemn by such taste preferences any group of the population, any nationality, any country that destroys this or that statehood all over the world and kills peaceful citizens", he emphasized.
Macron's speech
In October Makron made a big speech on the fight against separatism in the country, the head of state said that on December 9 the relevant bill would be presented. He also stressed that an organization should be created together with the French Council of Muslims to build an "enlightened Islam". According to him, it is necessary to free this religion "from foreign influence and strengthen control over the financing of mosques". The reason for such measures was the recent brutal murder of a teacher who showed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
The president's remarks sparked strong criticism in several Muslim countries, which called for a boycott of French products. Turkish head Tayyip Erdogan, in turn, advised Macron to "treat the mental health" and accused him of intent to create a totalitarian "anti-Islamic system". The Turkish leader also called France "part of Nazism" and asked Europe to "stop the hate campaign".
Macron's statement also was condemned by Chechnya's mufti, Salah Hajji Mezhiyev. He called the French leader's speech an irresponsible act that went beyond all ethical and moral boundaries. According to Mezhiyev, after the statement, Macron became "the number one terrorist in the world." The head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, also criticized the French president's words and said that by supporting the provocations, Macron "veiledly encourages Muslims to commit crimes". According to Kadyrov, the French leader "blows up a flame instead of blowing it out, as any adequate leader should have done."
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Based on materials from RIA Novosti