Calls to Boycott French Products Grow Worldwide

Calls to Boycott French Products grow worldwide as Muslim community is angered at the ‘Islamophobic comments’ made by president Emmanuel Macron who alleged that Islam was a source of terrorism.

French president Emmanuel Macron made some insensitive remarks towards Muslims in response to the beheading of Paris teacher, Samuel Paty, earlier this month for showing cartoons of the Holy Prophet during one of his lectures on ‘free speech’.

Social media started trending with hashtag #BoycottFrenchProducts calling to Boycott French Products after president Emmanuel Macron encouraged the publication of cartoons depicting the Holy Prophet something which is seen as blasphemous by the Muslim community.

Boycott French Products, President Macron, #BoycottFrenchProducts, #Boycott_French_Products — Posters calling for Boycott.

Many Arab countries have already started taking practical measures by removing French products off shelves which include items such as food, hair and beauty products.

France urges Arab Countries to stop Boycott calls

However, the French foreign ministry issued a statement urging Arab countries to immediately stop the calls for boycott saying:

These calls for boycott are baseless and should stop immediately, as well as all attacks against our country, which are being pushed by a radical minority,

French president Macron took to Twitter saying:

We will not give in, ever.
We respect all differences in a spirit of peace. We do not accept hate speech and defend reasonable debate. We will always be on the side of human dignity and universal values.

We will not give in, ever.
We respect all differences in a spirit of peace. We do not accept hate speech and defend reasonable debate. We will always be on the side of human dignity and universal values.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 25, 2020

It is pertinent to mention that Islamophobic people in France have gone one step ahead and displayed a cartoon of the Holy Prophet outside one of their buildings which is a direct insult to every Muslim around the world.

Macron condemned by Muslim leaders

After his insensitive ‘Islamophobic remarks’ towards Muslims. the French president Emmanuel Macron has been criticized by Muslim leaders, including Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Turkish president Erdogan slammed the president Macron suggesting that he needs ‘mental treatment’ following his negative comments about ‘Islam’.

While speaking at his Justice and Development Party meeting in Kayseri, Erdogan stated:

What is Macron’s problem with Islam? What is his problem with Muslims?

He added:

Macron needs some sort of mental treatment. What else is there to say about a head of state who doesn’t believe in the freedom of religion and behaves this way against the millions of people of different faiths living in his own country?

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan criticized the French president by accusing him of creating more “hate, Islamophobia and space for extremists” rather than uniting people.

Hallmark of a leader is he unites human beings, as Mandela did, rather than dividing them. This is a time when Pres Macron could have put healing touch & denied space to extremists rather than creating further polarisation & marginalisation that inevitably leads to radicalisation
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 25, 2020

Boycott French Products (#BoycottFrenchProducts) trends on Twitter

Social media around the world is trending calling to Boycott French Products as protest towards the ‘anti-Islamic’ statements made by president Macron.

These are some reactions on Twitter posted by the Muslim community:

“They express it with cartoons and we express through the economy.”

Staff at a shopping mall in Jordan removed French products from shelves in response to President Macron's recent comments on Islam. #boycottfrance #Boycott_French_Products
Via:@AJEnglish pic.twitter.com/Otov9I6tgX
— Syeda Umama (@umama86) October 26, 2020