MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th October, 2020) The Foreign Ministry of Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, on Friday issued a statement condemning French President Emmanuel Macron's speech, in which he supported caricatures of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, illustrated by the Charlie Hebdo newspaper.
On October 21, Macron delivered the speech during a commemoration ceremony for the French history teacher, Samuel Paty, who was murdered after showing the caricatures to his students. The president stressed that France would not disavow the cartoons and continue to defend freedom of expression.
"Indonesia condemns the statements made by the President of France that is disrespectful towards islam and the Muslim community world-wide. The statement has offended over 2 billion Muslims globally and has sparked division among different faiths in the world," the ministry's statement said.
The ministry added that "freedom of expression should not be exercised in ways that tarnish the honor, sanctity and sacredness of religious values and symbols" and urged the international community to promote and maintain unity and religious tolerance, especially amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Macron's statement has caused resentment in many other Muslim countries. Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar and Tunisia have condemned the French president, with some of them introducing a boycott of French goods.
