France and Islamophobia

Tehran, IRNA - Years after the Charlie Hebdo insulted Islam and its beloved Prophet (PBUH), the infamous French magazine has insulted the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, a prominent religious figure who is regarded as the flagbearer of efforts to advance Prophet's mission.

The following points are worth noting in connection with Charlie Hebdo’s absurd move:

Over the past 44 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has revived the identity of the Muslim world by adhering to the teachings of Islam and under the leadership of late Imam Khomeini and his righteous successor Ayatollah Khamenei.

There is no doubt that the Islamic Revolution of Iran has been an important factor in strengthening the tendency of the people around the world to seek spirituality and to turn away from liberal democracy as many people in Europe and elsewhere have converted to Islam over the past decades.

As a result, the Western world has become extremely fearful of the growth and progress of Islam as it has a clear plan to fight its spread and France has become a pioneer in this regard.

The French government, which normally calls itself a defender of freedom of speech designates obscene and ridiculous cartoons by the Charlie Hebdo as examples of freedom of speech and opinion.

French President Emanuel Macron claims that Charlie Hebdo is an independent media outlet. That comes as the magazine has continued to operate over the years with direct support from the Zionist lobby and its agents in France. That’s why the magazine insults all of the world's divine religions but Judaism.

France has a history of restricting Islamic activities, which is clear example of violating human freedoms, and authorities in the country have even proposed a bill to tighten restrictions on Muslims.

Such anti-Muslim policies in France come as Jews living in Islamic countries, especially Iran, have been officially recognized as a minority and their rights have always been respected.

France’s claim to be a defender of freedom of speech has no merit as any form of Holocaust denial seen in the country is punishable by at least a year behind bars and a fine of thousands of euros.

Being stringent on European thinkers who have been interested in researching the Holocaust has caused the Christians in the continent, especially the France, to increasingly hate Zionism. In fact, anti-Semitism has become an integral part of the Christian European culture.

Western thinkers have always done their best to avoid being punished because of their researches into the Holocaust and have published many of those researches on the internet.

The fact is that despite the anti-Islamic policies of the French government and the alleged freedom of speech exercised by magazines such as Charlie Hebdo, the Muslims around the world are determined to preserve and support their Islamic identity by expressing their hatred toward Islamophobia and by challenging the moves and policies of the French government in this regard.  

The Muslim world has been successful in its fight against oppression, occupation and crime, especially in the occupied Palestine, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere. That has become increasingly attractive and have elevated the position of the Islamic Revolution of Iran and its Supreme Leader.

For this reason, by insisting on its anti-Islamic moves, France is only adding fuel to the flame. The publication of silly cartoons will not only fail to weaken Islam but it will increase the disgust towards dogmatic way of thinking in the West’s liberal democracies.

The Islamic world should also seek to better recognize the long-term goals of the West’s continued Islamophobia campaign and its recurrent efforts to insult the sanctities of Muslims.

Muslim scholars and elites should also seek to expose the goals and affiliations of the infamous Charlie Hebdo by making use of their various capacities, including their media outlets, to challenge the absurd claim of freedom of expression in countries like France.

Such efforts should mainly focus on defending the Islamic values, including the sacred image of the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH), the Holy Quran and those who have functioned as the standard bearers in efforts to defend Islam, especially Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.