FRANCE. Several Arab nations have announced a complete boycott of French products. The protests come days after French President Emmanuel Macron made comments on Islam. In a statement, Macron said, “Islam is a religion that is in crisis all over the world.”
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Earlier this month, Macron pledged to fight “Islamist separatism”. According to Macron, this is threatening to take control of Muslim communities around France.
In addition to this, Macron’s backing of satirical outlets publishing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad has led to a social media campaign calling for the boycott of French products.
Hashtags such as the #BoycottFrenchProducts in English and the Arabic #ExceptGodsMessenger trended across countries. Many Arab countries like Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are supporting the protests.
In Kuwait, the members of the Al-Naeem Cooperative Society decided to boycott all French products and to remove them from supermarkets. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) described Macron’s statements as “irresponsible”, and said they are aimed at spreading a culture of hatred among peoples.
In a statement, Kuwait’s foreign ministry warned against the support of abuses and discriminatory policies that link Islam to terrorism. They believe that it insults the teachings of Islam, and offends the feelings of Muslims around the world. Qatar University has also joined the campaign. Its administration has postponed a French Cultural Week event indefinitely.
Meanwhile, the French government is planning to present a bill in December to strengthen a 1905 law. The law of 9th December 1905, concerning the separation of the churches and the state, instituted and defined the secularity of France. The law officially separated church and state in France.
