Publisher's introduction [Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi]: Recently there has been a big controversy following the murder of a teacher in France by a Muslim of Chechen origin, who committed the act because he had shown to his students cartoons disparaging the Prophet Muhammad. In response to French President Emmanuel Macron's public defence of 'secularism' that predates the murder, there are now calls in parts of the Muslim world to boycott French goods. The anger against Macron and France is particularly apparent in Syria, as people from Idlib to Damascus and other areas have called to defend the honour of the Prophet Muhammad. In Idlib for example there have been demonstrations against the cartoons and France.
In a guest post for my site, Sheikh Abu al-Yaqdhan al-Masri, an independent cleric of Egyptian origin based in northwest Syria, comments on the whole affair. This article was originally written in French. The English version is a translation of the original.
Freedom of Expression
Written by / Sheikh Abu Al-Yaqdhan Muhammad Naji
- Why did Macron summon the French ambassador to Turkey after Erdogan mocked Macron?!
- Why did Macron attend the memorial service of Samuel Paty and was not bothered when two Muslim women where stabbed at the Eiffel Tower?!
- Why was Macron upset with the president of Brazil when he mocked Macron's wife, Brigitte?!
- Why did the French judiciary ban a billboard taken from the idea of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper on March 10, 2005, and ordered the removal of all billboards within 3 days because they offend the Catholics?
- Why was the French comedian Dieudonné's anti-Zionist show cancelled?
- Why did the French judiciary accuse the French thinker Roger Garaudy of anti-Semitism, according to the Gesu law?
- Do not all of these incidents fall into Macron's freedom of expression?!!!
The French people did not consider 'La Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du citoyen' as the freedom to offend others. Were the Christians who threw incendiary glass bombs at the " The Last Temptation of Christ" gallery in Paris on October 22, 1988 terrorists? Can the French government allow the film to be shown in French cinema now?
Does Macron agree to display the painting "Piss Christ" by the American artist Andres Serrano in Paris exhibitions?!
We Muslims never agree with that because we love and respect Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, more than those who claim to love him as Sophie Pétronin told Macron after she converted to Islam because she saw Muslims glorifying Mary and Christ more than the Christians as a result of which she changed her name from Sophie to Mary after her conversion to Islam.
Islam honoured the human being and made words and expressions a trust, responsibility, etiquette and commitment before Voltaire said: "You can only think with the consent of the king"; and before Napoleon said: "If I had let the press do what it wanted, I would have been out of power within three months."
God created man and made him the sovereign in this universe and created all creatures to serve mankind: {He has subjected all that is in the heavens and the earth for your benefit, as a gift from Him. There truly are signs in this for those who reflect} [Al-Jathiyah: 13]. The ruling system in Islam is based on justice and fairness; The Almighty said: {O you who believe, be steadfast in your devotion to God and bear witness impartially: do not let hatred of others lead you away from justice, but adhere to justice, for that is closer to awareness of God. Be mindful of God: God is well aware of all that you do} [Al-Ma'idah: 8]. Islam calls for enjoining good and forbidding evil. He (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Religion is advice, we said to whom, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "To Allah, to His Book, to His Messenger, to the leaders of Muslims and to their common people." He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "That if people witness an oppressor and do not hold him to account it may be that Allah will punish them with a punishment that may affect all". The first caliph, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said in his inauguration sermon: "O people, I have been appointed over you and I am not the best of you, if I do good than support me and if I do wrong than correct me".
This is the Islam that was brought by the best of mankind, Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to be the ruler over all religions even if the disbelievers despise it, even if the unbelievers hate it.
This is Islam that influences and is not influenced. The best example of this is Sophie Petronin who travelled to Mali to call the Muslims of Mali to Christianity and returned to France as Mary the Muslim.
No country or world power will be able to stop the spread of Islam. France will soon witness large numbers of people that will enter Islam after this attack on our master Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). (God always prevails in His purpose, though most people do not realize it) [Yusuf: 21].
Written by / Abu Al-Yaqhan Muhammad Naji
26/10/2020