When French magazine Charlie Hebdo published cartoons mocking and insulting Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), its director of publication - Stephane Charbonnier - proudly claimed his staff was “not really fueling the fire” but rather using its freedom of expression “to comment (on) the news in a satirical way.”
Such a comment reflects this fact: France is seemingly embracing an absolute freedom of expression. But, is that so?
In short, ridiculing and mocking our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has invariably been viewed by some French people as part of freedom of speech and expression.
In other words, some French people have been expanding the zone of democratic rights of its citizens to include the right to insult even the Prophet/a religious belief.
Being a notion of “liberty, equality, fraternity” (Liberté, egalité, fraternité) - which are seen as the safe-house of French identity - everybody expects French people to be truly democratic both in their words and actions.
Enemy of the state
Unfortunately, to everybody's astonishment, France seems to be embracing “A Guided or Fake Democracy”.
When Karim Benzema - a French Muslim football player - who scored 37 goals in 97 international caps for France - opted to exercise his democratic rights by merely expressing his opinion, he is now being subject to this menacing threat: a French Interior Minister - Gérald Darmanin - wants this star footballer stripped of his citizenship and awards.
The same politician also claimed in a television interview this week that Benzema is “notoriously linked with the Muslim Brotherhood, we all know it.”
In exercising his democratic rights, Karim expressed his support for Palestinians in Gaza amid several days of Israeli bombardment of the enclave.
He was reported to have said these words, i.e. “Our prayers for the inhabitants of Gaza who are once again victims of these unjust bombings which spare no women or children.”
All of a sudden, Karim has become an enemy of the state. He is no longer revered.
Or, worse still, he is no longer afforded the same democratic rights to freedom of speech and expression as what France proudly gave to Charlie Hebdo!
Hence, the hypocrisy is as clear as day!
Being a Muslim in France and a supporter of Palestine, Karim is strictly forbidden from enjoying the fruits of freedom of expression in France.
What a joke! - Mkini
MOHAMED HANIPA MAIDIN is a former deputy minister of law in Malaysia as well as a former MP. He was also a practising lawyer for almost 25 years.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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