As several Muslim-majority nations, including Turkey and Bangladesh are calling for a boycott of French goods over claims of Islamophobia, a different sentiment is stirring in India.
French president Emmanuel Macron was accused of Islamophobia when he accused French Muslims of “separatism” and describing Islam as “a religion in crisis all over the world”. Things heated up when he refused to “renounce the caricatures” of the depictions of Prophet Muhammad.
A different sentiment seems to be gripping India’s Twitter platforms. #IStandWithFrance and #WeStandWithFrance are two hashtags that are catching on among a section of Indians, who are expressing solidarity towards France.
If a Christian/Hindu/Jewish teacher showed a cartoon of Mary/Krishna/Jesus and was later beheaded by a Christian/Hindu/Jew, of course it would be an act of radical Christianity/Hinduism/Judaism.
Why is Islam an exception? #WeStandWithFrance #Emmanuel_Macron
— Priyanka Deo Jain (@priyankadeo) October 27, 2020
@EmmanuelMacron Respected Macron sir, The entire India with you..
— Palash Mondal (@PalashM4) October 27, 2020
#welldoneFrance
We stand with @EmmanuelMacron
Great initiative against terrorism #WeStandWithFrance pic.twitter.com/AszkPMbIQz— अनूप राय (@anoopdevrai) October 26, 2020
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter to show his displeasure towards Macron’s comments, saying it is “unfortunate that he has chosen to encourage Islamophobia by attacking Islam.”
Hallmark of a leader is he unites human beings, as Mandela did, rather than dividing them. This is a time when Pres Macron could have put healing touch & denied space to extremists rather than creating further polarisation & marginalisation that inevitably leads to radicalisation
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 25, 2020
