Outcry grows in Middle East over French defence of Mohammed cartoons

Cairo (dpa), 27 Oct, 2020 –   
An outcry against France has escalated in the Middle East over cartoons of Islam’s prophet Mohammed, deemed offensive by many Muslim countries.  

The renewed international row over the cartoons, sparked by the beheading earlier this month of a French teacher who showed them to his class, have led to calls for a boycott of French products.  

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia became the latest country to wade in to the debate surrounding France’s robust defence of the right to show the Mohammed cartoons.  

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to link Islam with terrorism, and denounces cartoons offensive to the prophet Mohammed or any of the other prophets,” a Foreign Ministry official said.  

France “will not give up our cartoons,” President Emmanuel Macron said after the killing of teacher Samuel Paty near Paris.  

Macron reiterated his stance on Sunday, tweeting: “We will not give in, ever.”