Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband on Friday hit out at French President Emmanuel Macron for 'insulting' the Prophet Mohammed and said that the recent row is a sign of France's Islamophobia. Meanwhile, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) indirectly said that France "must adopt civilised manners".
The heat of the flame has reached India as well, where thousands of people were booked on Friday over anti-Macron protests in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, more significantly.
According to a report by News18, Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani of the Darul Uloom Deoband said that it is the "responsibility of the Islamic countries" to strongly oppose France on this issue and appealed to the international Muslim community to raise their voice.
"The OIC, the Arab League and other Muslim countries should raise their voice against the French government and lodge a protest at the diplomatic and commercial levels," the Maulana was quoted as saying by the media network.
On the other hand, the AIMPLB tweeted from its official handle, "Freedom of expression is a right. However, one is not allowed to insult the sentiments of others in the name of freedom. Those who violate others' fundamental right to be respected must adopt civilized manners."
For those who have been living under a rock, the killings by a knife-wielding assailant in a church in the French city of Nice prompted a vow from President Emmanuel Macron to stand firm against attacks on French values and freedom of belief. The violence came at a time of growing Muslim anger over France's defence of the right to publish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad, and protesters have denounced France in street rallies in several Muslim-majority countries.
