The Italian Union of Islamic Communities (UCOII) on Tuesday condemned the French authorities over President Emmanuel Macron's public defense of Charlie Hebdo's controversial depiction of Islamic prophet Muhammad, slamming display of the caricature as "despicable act."
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th October, 2020) The Italian Union of Islamic Communities (UCOII) on Tuesday condemned the French authorities over President Emmanuel Macron's public defense of Charlie Hebdo's controversial depiction of Islamic prophet Muhammad, slamming display of the caricature as "despicable act."
Macron has faced widespread criticism over his speech at a commemoration ceremony for brutally murdered French history teacher Samuel Paty last week, in which he stressed that France would further defend freedom of expression, including acceptance of insulting drawings of the Islamic prophet.
"Offending the figure of the prophet is a despicable act," the UCOII said, as cited by the ANSA news agency, at the same time condemning Paty's "monstrous beheading ... no ifs no buts."
According to the union, such caricatures destabilize the harmony among diverse communities, which had been hard to achieve, while undermining its foundations.
"Respect for religion, whether it be Christian, Muslim, Jewish or another faith, is at the basis of a democratic, plural society," the UCOII added.
The standoff between France and several Muslim nations began earlier this month after an 18-year-old French Muslim of Chechen origin beheaded Paty over allegedly showing Charlie Hebdo's controversial depiction of the Islamic prophet during a lesson on freedom of speech.
