(Samajweekly) President Macron is being mocked and lampooned. What he said was in defense of Free Speech is a French Tradition. One may or may not agree with these portrayals as Charlie Habdo did and he should have categorically said this that it was not his government’s position. He could have avoided blaming Muslims for the problems in France. These are dangerous accusations and will further alienate the people. However, to suggest that France is the worst country and has been campaigning against Muslims and Islam is too much to agree upon. Macron is not George Bush or Donald Trump. He has been very careful in his utterings but I do agree that somehow I found his utterings immediately after the Sam Patty murder, as quite disturbing. It is good that he has now cleared the air by saying that it is not the official position of France and that he defends the right to media to speak. For us, living in India and in plural societies, it is important that we be very careful in speaking about historical figures and those people respect, love and worship. Right to offend someone is not acceptable in our societies and even people like me will not be comfortable with it. There is a big difference between constructive criticism and mocking at someone and newspapers and magazines have to be careful about such publications. The responsibility is ours but justifying violence and brutality in the name of such things is not acceptable and will only prove those correct who suffer from anti-muslim racism. Every country has a right to decide about its policies and how they work. There is a risk too with anti-France campaign world over at the moment particularly in the Islamic world and that is the growth and strength of far-right political groups in France and Europe. If that happens, the biggest losers will not only be democracy, liberal traditions and free speech but immigrants and minorities who find solace in these societies after much struggle of threat and intimidations in their own countries. Let the tempers cool down and we all need to think it seriously that vilifying a secular state is as dangerous as blaming Islam and Muslims for all the current crisis of the world. France is capable of resolving its issues and it is not a monarchy or a despotic society which can annihilate a community more than 8% of its population. There are issues of social integration and it can be resolved but one thing is certain that a secular state is the only guarantee for the protection of rights of minorities whether religious, sexual, ethnic or any other marginalized groups.
Sharing my detailed analysis of the French Secular values, Muslim minorities there and the hypocrisy of Pro or anti French protests in different parts of the world.
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Vidya Bhushan Rawat
