Saudi Arabia Denounces Offensive Caricatures of Prophet Muhammad

Saudi Arabia denounced on Tuesday the republication of offensive caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, rejecting any attempt to link Islam with terrorism.

In a statement, a foreign ministry official said that Saudi Arabia condemns all acts of terrorism, in an apparent reference to the beheading of a teacher in Paris this month by an Islamist radical avenging the use of cartoons of the Prophet in a class on freedom of expression, according to Reuters.

“Freedom of expression and culture should be a beacon of respect, tolerance, and peace that rejects practices and acts which generate hatred, violence, and extremism and are contrary to coexistence,” the statement read.

On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted in Arabic expressing France’s respect to the other. He also stressed in his tweet France’s rejection of any discrimination or violent discourse.

Through the tweet, Macron indicated France’s intention to support human universal rights.

This tweet came after Paris urged the Middle Eastern and Eastern European countries to stop French products boycott calls.

Those calls have been aroused after Macron‘s statements over the publication of satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

In the same context, the French foreign affairs ministry said in a statement, “These calls for boycott are baseless and should stop immediately, as well as all attacks against our country, which are being pushed by a radical minority,” according to Reuters.