The French embassy in Russia is deeply concerned about threats against the republic and informed the Russian authorities about protests near the embassy building, urging them to issue an official condemnation, the diplomatic mission said on Saturday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st October, 2020) The French embassy in Russia is deeply concerned about threats against the republic and informed the Russian authorities about protests near the embassy building, urging them to issue an official condemnation, the diplomatic mission said on Saturday.
On Thursday, people came to the French embassy in Moscow to protest the use of religious caricatures depicting Islamic prophet Mohammad that were published by French magazine Charlie Hebdo. One of the protesters was holding a banner with criticism against French President Emmanuel Macron.
"We are deeply concerned about these threats, which are absolutely unacceptable, and we informed the Russian authorities about that, urging them to issue an official condemnation ... We have already informed the Russian authorities about the increased terrorist threat to French interests following the rallies in front of French embassies and the attack [on a French consulate] in Jeddah. We have asked them to strengthen security measures for all French consulates in Russia," the statement obtained by Sputnik read.
France is experiencing national dismay in the wake of an increasing Islamic threat following the brutal murder of French history teacher Samuel Paty by beheading at the hands of a radicalized Chechen teenager in mid-October. The motive for the killing was the use of caricatures of Islamic prophet Mohammad by Paty to teach his students freedom of speech.
At a memorial service for the deceased teacher, Macron pledged to step up efforts to combat radical islam and expressed support for continued use of cartoons of the Islamic prophet as manifestation of freedom of speech. His comments outraged the Muslim world, with many Islamic countries and communities describing them as insulting.
