Macron: I defend the right to draw cartoons, but this does not mean that I personally support them

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On October 31, 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron tried to ease tensions with Muslims. He gave a long interview to the Arab TV company Al Jazeera from Qatar and had a long conversation with the journalist, explaining his words about Islam, which caused a resonance around the world, according to the German TV and radio company Deutsche Welle.

Macron said that he understands why people are offended at him and realizes their outrage at the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. But this cannot be an excuse for violence. He called on the Muslim world to remain calm and prudent.



I understand that cartoons can shock people, but I will never allow violence to be justified

- he said.

I understand the feelings this evokes, I respect them. But I want you to understand me too. My role is to calm the situation while protecting rights. I will always defend the freedom to speak, write, think and paint in my country.

- added the head of state.

I defend the right to draw cartoons, but that does not mean that I personally support them. This does not mean that I approve of everything we say, think and draw, but ... I believe that this is our vocation to defend freedoms and human rights, as well as the sovereignty of the French people.

- explained Macron.

On October 16, in the town of Conflans-Saint-Honorine, a school teacher, Samuel Pati, was beheaded, who at one of the lessons showed students cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. After that, Macron announced that Islam was in crisis. These words sparked protests in the Muslim world. And even earlier, on September 25, a group of people attacked passers-by at the former editorial office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which republished cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a recent issue.

In an interview, Macron stressed that the French state has nothing to do with such publications. In his opinion, the leaders of several countries distort the truth, forcing the inhabitants of their countries to believe that the French government is responsible for these cartoons. At the same time, his words about the crisis in Islam concerned extremist elements, which also threaten all other Muslims.

The cartoons are not a government project, they are produced by free and independent newspapers not affiliated with the government

- the president specified.

I wanted to make it very clear that there are people in the world today who distort Islam and kill in the name of the religion they defend. Today, some extremist movements and individuals practice violence in the name of Islam

- he explained.

Of course, this is a problem for Islam, because Muslims are the first victims. More than 80% of victims of terrorism are Muslims. And that's a problem for all of us

- pointed out the French leader.

Macron defended secularism - the concept that government and other sources of the rule of law should exist separately from any type of religion. He noted that in France people are free to practice their religion. At the same time, religious and political those who do not condemn the violence are partially responsible for it. Therefore, he urged them to condemn the attacks in France. Concerning words Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to boycott French goods, then Macron called them "unworthy and unacceptable."

The French president also defended his bill to combat Islamic extremism. This document should help protect the Muslim community in France. The bill is directed against radicals and does not interfere with the integration of the Muslim community into French society.

We are going to prevent children from dropping out of school and we want to prevent terrorist-related funding. And above all, we are going to make sure that everyone, regardless of their religion, respects the laws of the French Republic.

- summed up Macron.
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    1. +3
      1 November 2020 13: 34
      I understand that cartoons can shock people, but I will never allow violence to be justified

      And how does he then justify the violence of his government against the demonstrators in yellow vests?

      So you can go far. How would he like it if Muslims start hanging cartoons on all the posts depicting a man with a head in his hand and an inscription, a la: "Everything is in your hands .."?
    2. -6
      1 November 2020 14: 06
      Normal and balanced position of the president of a developed secular country.
    3. GRF
      +2
      1 November 2020 15: 58
      - Well, show me what happened! - asked Gunka when Dunno finished the portrait.
      Dunno showed.
      - Am I like that? - shouted Gunka in fright.
      - Of course it is. What else?
      - And why did you draw the mustache? I don't have a mustache.
      - Well, they will grow up someday.
      - Why is the nose red?
      - It's to be more beautiful.
      - Why is your hair blue? Do I have blue hair?
      - Blue, - answered Dunno. “But if you don’t like it, I can make green ones.
      “No, this is a bad portrait,” said Gunka. - Let me tear it.
      - Why destroy a work of art? - answered Dunno.
      Gunka wanted to take the portrait away from him, and they began to fight. Znayka, doctor Pilyulkin and the rest of the kids came running to the noise.
      - Why are you fighting? - they ask.
      - Here, - shouted Gunka, judge us: tell me, who is drawn here? Isn't that me?
      “Of course not you,” the kids answered. - Here some kind of scarecrow is drawn.
      Dunno says:
      - You did not guess because there is no signature here. I'll sign it now and everything will be clear. He took a pencil and signed under the portrait in block letters: "GUNKA". Then he hung the portrait on the wall and said:
      - Let it hang. Everyone can watch, no one is prohibited.
      - All the same, - said Gunka, - when you go to bed, I will come and destroy this portrait.
      - And I will not go to bed at night and will guard, - answered Dunno.
      Gunka was offended and went home, but Dunno actually did not go to bed in the evening. When everyone fell asleep, he took paints and began to paint everyone. I painted the donut so thick that it didn't even fit in the portrait. I drew a quickie on slender legs, and for some reason drew a dog's tail on the back. The hunter Pulka depicted riding on Bulka. For Doctor Pilyulkin, he drew a thermometer instead of a nose. Knows not know why he drew donkey ears. In a word, he portrayed everyone in a funny and ridiculous way. By morning, he hung these portraits on the walls and made inscriptions under them, so that it turned out to be a whole exhibition.
      Doctor Pilyulkin was the first to wake up. He saw portraits on the wall and began to laugh. He liked them so much that he even put his pince-nez on his nose and began to examine the portraits very carefully. He approached each portrait and laughed for a long time.
      - Well done, Dunno! - said Doctor Pilyulkin. - Never in my life have I laughed like that!
      Finally he stopped near his portrait and asked sternly:
      - Who's that? Is it really me? No, it's not me. This is a very bad portrait. You better take it off.
      - Why shoot? Let it hang, - answered Dunno.
      Doctor Pilyulkin took offense and said:
      - You, Dunno, apparently sick. Something happened to your eyes. When did you see that I had a thermometer instead of a nose? I'll have to give you castor oil for the night.
      Dunno did not like castor oil very much. He got scared and says:
      - No no! Now I myself see that the portrait is bad.
      He took a portrait of Pilyulkin off the wall and tore it up.
      Following Pilyulkin, the hunter Pulka woke up. And he liked the portraits. He almost burst out laughing as he looked at them. And then he saw his portrait, and his mood immediately soured.
      “This is a bad portrait,” he said. - Doesn't look like me. Take it off, or I won't take you with me on the hunt.
      Dunno and the hunter Pulka had to be removed from the wall.
      So it was with everyone. Everyone liked the portraits of others, but they didn't like theirs.
      The last to wake up was Tube, who, as usual, slept the longest. When he saw his portrait on the wall, he became terribly angry and said that it was not a portrait, but a mediocre, anti-artistic daub. Then he tore off the portrait from the wall and took away the paint and brush from Dunno.
      There is only one Gun'kin portrait on the wall. Dunno took it off and went to his friend.
      - Do you want, Gunka, I will give you your portrait? And you will make peace with me for this, - suggested Dunno.
      Gunka took the portrait, tore it into pieces and said:
      - Okay, world. Only if you draw once more, I will never put up with it.
      - And I will never draw again, - answered Dunno. - You draw, draw, and no one will even say thank you, everyone just swears. I don't want to be an artist anymore.

      (a piece of N. Nosov's masterpiece)
    4. GRF
      0
      1 November 2020 16: 41
      I defend the right to draw cartoons, but that does not mean that I personally support them.

      This is an excuse for insults, but how will he speak, justifying lawlessness?

      "I defend the right of self-realization, but that does not mean that I personally support them."

      A fig provocateur ...
      1. -3
        1 November 2020 18: 37
        "This is an excuse for insults, but how will he speak, justifying lawlessness?"

        Can you reproach your local official for lying somewhere in the network (promised to build / paint / patch and did not fulfill)? You can vote for him, but you cannot criticize him - the article is “for criticism”.
        It is behind such protection that bureaucratic lawlessness is being strengthened in Russia, and this is worse than in France. "You, Russians, vote for us, and we will vote for you ...!"
        1. GRF
          +2
          1 November 2020 19: 02
          Why criticize an official? especially since now many people confuse criticism with personal insults, and not advice on improving the public activities of this official.
          Moreover, it will be unnecessary if the citizens of the Russian Federation have the opportunity:
          1 It should be possible to electronically confirm your agreement or disagreement with the proposed decision by the official. and depending on the opinion of the majority, it will be implemented in this version or not.
          2 There should be a mechanism for public assessment of the work of an official, which would influence his further motivation, not only at the moment of election, re-election, but also during the term.
          3 Submit laws against which the majority of Russian citizens will speak out for revision.
          Elected groups, public councils, elite experts, it was great when it was difficult to quickly and relatively cheaply reveal the opinion of the majority, now there are other opportunities and they must evolve democracy and eliminate bureaucratic lawlessness, at least in Russia ...
          And now officials are rarely imprisoned, but periodically, so someone is "criticizing" them ...
    5. 0
      1 November 2020 20: 14
      A very incomprehensible position of the head of France. The swing to the fight against "Islamofascism" was worth a ruble, but the blow was a penny. Even less. Why make excuses? And in front of whom? Islamic opponents only understand and respect the language of power. Or there was no need to make harsh statements about the proposed actions and changes in policy towards radical Islam at all. Or, having made them, continue the same line. You go straight - look straight! Definitely, the change in rhetoric against the Islamists will be perceived by the entire Islamic world as a sign of weakness. Macron was blown away, they will say ...
    6. 0
      1 November 2020 23: 27
      And I'm glad that the French are being killed