Link to article: “Saudi Arabia condemns attempt to ‘link Islam with terrorism'”
With tensions rising between France and the Muslim community, nations including Saudi Arabia have denounced connections between the Islamic faith and acts of terrorism. France’s support for the publishing of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed has sparked outrage in many Muslim-majority nations.
Earlier this month, a Muslim man killed a French teacher after disagreements in a free-speech course. Saudi officials have condemned this act and all acts of terrorism which have been linked to Islam.
The foreign ministry official of Saudi Arabia calls for, “intellectual and cultural freedom to be a beacon of respect, tolerance, and peace that rejects practices and acts which generate hatred, violence, and extremism and are contrary to the values of coexistence.”
Following Saudi Arabia’s announcement, many Muslim nations have taken actions against France in response to the disrespect showed to their faith. Many nations, including Iraq, Turkey, and the Gaza Strip have held protests against the French government. Turkey and Saudi Arabia have ordered boycotts of French goods and chains. Turkish officials have also removed their representatives in Paris, as France removed their ambassador from Ankara.
Outside of France, Turkey has urged European officials to take action against what is being referred to as the “anti-Islam agenda.” Muslims are beginning to view France as being increasingly hostile towards followers of the Islam faith.
The dispute involving the Muslim-majority countries, mainly Saudi Arabia and Turkey, versus France is one that is extremely threatening to their relations and cooperation with each other.
Saudi Arabia, a key nation of the Islamic faith, has a large influence on other countries around the Middle East, who may follow in its footsteps. Not only does this disturb diplomatic relations between Middle Eastern countries and France, but it may also cause changes in both economies. With Saudi Arabia already boycotting French goods, if persisted, there could be a larger cut-off between the two countries. Although, this isn’t guaranteed, as Saudi Arabia and France have generally had a strong allyship in the past years, involving strong economic, military, and political cooperation.
With France being the home of around six million Muslims, they are put into a difficult position as to how the situation should be handled. On one hand, they could end the publications of the cartoons of the Prophet, which would change their policy on the free press. On the other hand, allowing the publications to continue would be disrespectful to its own citizens, showing carelessness towards the spread of Islamaphobic ideas and hate towards Muslims. Instead of concentrating on the terrorists themselves, France seems to be attacking Islam in general.
On a regional level, this conflict is tied to outrage in the Middle East due to France’s continuous support for the publishing of cartoons depicting Muhammed. Narrowing down to the individual level, the French president’s unwillingness to monitor the press, and take action against the offensive cartoons, has heightened tensions with Saudi officials and the Turkish president. A major MNC being affected by the conflict is Carrefour, the French grocery chain which Saudi officials have called a boycott against.