French minister, in Cairo, affirms respect for Islam in dispute over cartoons

[webfact]

French minister, in Cairo, affirms respect for Islam in dispute over cartoons

By Aidan Lewis and Mahmoud Mourad

 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian leaves after a news conference with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar (not pictured), in Cairo, Egypt November 8, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

 

CAIRO (Reuters) - The French foreign minister asserted his country's "profound respect for Islam" during a visit to Cairo on Sunday in a dispute with the Muslim world over France's defence of the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad.

 

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's visit comes in the wake of several attacks in France apparently provoked by anger over the defence of the caricatures, considered blasphemous by Muslims, as freedom of expression.

 

After meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Le Drian said an "anti-French" campaign in the Muslim world had often been the result of a distortion of French President Emmanuel Macron's comments on the issue.

 

"We have a first principle which is the highest respect for Islam," Le Drian told reporters. "I also want to say that Muslims are fully part of society in France.

 

"The second message is that we're confronted by a terrorism threat, fanaticism, on our soil but also elsewhere, and this battle is a common battle."

 

Le Drian said he had a long exchange marked by "great frankness" with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, who heads al-Azhar, Cairo's thousand-year-old seat of Sunni Muslim learning.

 

"I noted numerous points of divergence in our analyses. I told the Grand Imam how much we need a voice of balance, tolerance and moderation," Le Drian told reporters.

 

French officials later said Le Drian had meant to say "convergence", not "divergence".

 

The only battle France was fighting with Egypt and other countries was against extremism, Le Drian said.

 

"The Grand Imam suggested that we work together to deepen this common convergence."

 

In a written statement about the meeting, Tayeb said he had stressed that any insult against the prophet was unacceptable.

 

"I am the first to protest against freedom of expression if this freedom offends any religion, not just Islam," he said.

 

 

"We refuse to describe terrorism as Islamic," he added. "Al-Azhar represents the voice of nearly two billion Muslims, and I said that terrorists do not represent us, and we are not responsible for their actions."

 

(Editing by Nick Macfie)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-11-09

 

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[mr mr]

i thought in life respect was to be earned not given ? 

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

In a written statement about the meeting, Tayeb said he had stressed that any insult against the prophet was unacceptable.

 

tayeb you are your attitude are unacceptable. either you understand and respect the laws and rules of the society you life in or you can scram.

 

any insult against the prophet is TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE. if tayeb wants to live in a country with freedom of speech he should stand shoulder to shoulder with me in defending said right..... no matter the subject.

 

if not you can always leave and go someplace where that kind of outlook is acceptable.

 

salam.

 

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"Al-Azhar represents the voice of nearly two billion Muslims, and I said that terrorists do not represent us, and we are not responsible for their actions."

DeNile is flowing strong thru Cairo...

[Opl]

The problem is poorly worded, France has "deep" doubts concerning Islam in France, and French people have made up  their minds: 

- does Islam have respect for our secular laïc French Republic?

- is Islam soluble in French culture?

 

In France, you have to abide by our Constitution and Laws above all:  no individual or group may use their origin or religion to exempt themselves from the common rule

 

- 1789: France abolishes the crime of blasphemy

-1880: Jules Ferry lays the foundations for free secular schools - (There should be no overlap between priest and teacher - schoolchildren be taught that all philosophical ideas are subject to scrutiny  by reason and science)

- In 1905, the adoption of the law on the separation of church and state introduced the principle of a strict separation between the private and public spheres (Religion is private matter)  

- 1946: Secularism enters the Constitution - (prohibition of political and religious propaganda in schools)

- 2004: Ban on wearing conspicuous religious symbols in schools

 

It's as simple as that,  anti-France foreign political agendas on these matters are the reason causing these repeated terror attacks since years, if not decades.

 

We, French know where we come from, there is no way for France to return back to 1789, and bend to superstition and ignorance  

 

Is there any religion that France doesn't respect?

France is a country of many Religions, and none.

France is a post- Religion country and does have utmost respect for Islam, in Muslim countries.   

 

 

[John Drake]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

In a written statement about the meeting, Tayeb said he had stressed that any insult against the prophet was unacceptable.

 

"I am the first to protest against freedom of expression if this freedom offends any religion, not just Islam," he said.

 

Does burning down Coptic churches count?

[Regyai]

7 hours ago, mr mr said:

i thought in life respect was to be earned not given ? 

 

 

tayeb you are your attitude are unacceptable. either you understand and respect the laws and rules of the society you life in or you can scram.

 

any insult against the prophet is TOTALLY ACCEPTABLE. if tayeb wants to live in a country with freedom of speech he should stand shoulder to shoulder with me in defending said right..... no matter the subject.

 

if not you can always leave and go someplace where that kind of outlook is acceptable.

 

salam.

 

somewhere like....

 

the Middle Ages

[ourmanflint]

The western worlds values are wholly incompatible with modern Islam, at some point we have to accept this

[Regyai]

On 11/9/2020 at 8:37 AM, ourmanflint said:

The western worlds values are wholly incompatible with modern Islam, at some point we have to accept this

 

That would be a positive first step in acquiescing to the Mohammedans' age old philosophy of subjugation  

[ourmanflint]

8 hours ago, Regyai said:

 

That would be a positive first step in acquiescing to the Mohammedans' age old philosophy of subjugation  

I think you have me the wrong way around. We should not acquiesce at all in any way, we need to stop trying to integrate Islam into western culture as it will never ever work

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed. 

 

[simple1]

On 11/9/2020 at 10:19 AM, mr mr said:

tayeb you are your attitude are unacceptable. either you understand and respect the laws and rules of the society you life in or you can scram.

 

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb is Egyptian, living in Egypt. al-Tayyeb has rejected Salafi and Wahhabi ideology.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_al-Tayyeb#Wahhabism_and_Salafism

[Opl]

3 hours ago, simple1 said:

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb is Egyptian, living in Egypt. al-Tayyeb has rejected Salafi and Wahhabi ideology.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_al-Tayyeb#Wahhabism_and_Salafism

 

Wahhabism is an alibi.

Cartoons are a pretext

Blasphemy   is a Trojan Horse. 

 

[simple1]

1 hour ago, Opl said:

 

Wahhabism is an alibi.

Cartoons are a pretext

Blasphemy   is a Trojan Horse. 

 

 

All extremist messaging are a negative to society, including yours.

[Opl]

33 minutes ago, simple1 said:

 

All extremist messaging are a negative to society, including yours.

The Islamist ideology always reverses the burden of the proof, and systematically presents the victims as executioners It is a classic defense  mechanism ..

[simple1]

6 minutes ago, Opl said:

The Islamist ideology always reverses the burden of the proof, and systematically presents the victims as executioners. It is a classic defense  mechanism ... 

 

 

From my observation Islamists proudly proclaim the reasoning for their murders /actions. However, what I was getting to is Western security forces do not support the type of propaganda you post as considered 'counter productive'. it's all been said before so....

[Opl]

21 minutes ago, simple1 said:

 

From my observation Islamists proudly proclaim the reasoning for their murders /actions. However, what I was getting to is Western security forces do not support the type of propaganda you post as considered 'counter productive'. it's all been said before so....

Sadly your panel isn't at the scale of the issue, it's the only possible answer when no other argument is available.

My POV is how Europe sees it, like it or not. 

[simple1]

1 hour ago, Opl said:

My POV is how Europe sees it, like it or not. 

 

Don't believe you. Tell me which EU /UK security agencies, with links, support demonising all of Islam / Muslims