France called on Sunday, October 25, the governments of the countries concerned to "put an end" to calls for a boycott of French products and to demonstrate, coming from a "radical minority", also asking them to "ensure the safety" of French living on their soil.

France denounces these calls, which concern in particular agri-food products, "as well as more generally calls to demonstrate against France, in sometimes hateful terms, relayed on social networks", according to the text of the press release.

"These calls distort the positions defended by France in favor of freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, freedom of religion and the refusal of any call to hatred", the text continues.

Calls to boycott French products distort the positions defended by France in favor of freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, freedom of religion and the refusal of any call to hatred.



Statement➡️ https://t.co/lyfkgSCZfn pic.twitter.com/ywe8fBaEnB

- France Diplomacy🇫🇷 (@francediplo) October 25, 2020

"Consequently, the calls for boycott are without any object and must cease immediately, as well as all the attacks directed against our country, instrumentalized by a radical minority", it is written. 

This press release comes in a tense diplomatic climate between France and Turkey, whose president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, once again targeted his French counterpart on Sunday by declaring that Emmanuel Macron had "strayed" by his positions towards the Muslims and Islam.

>> Read also: The French Ambassador to Turkey recalled after another Erdogan attack

A Kuwaiti cooperative retail chain has decided to boycott French products because of "repeated insults" against the Prophet Muhammad and the cartoons to which he is the object.

The defense of the cartoons of Muhammad, the starting point of tensions

Pakistan also attacked France on Sunday through the voice of its Prime Minister, Imran Khan, who accused Emmanuel Macron of having "attacked Islam" by encouraging the publication of cartoons representing Muhammad.

Criticisms against Emmanuel Macron and calls for a boycott of French products come a few days after the presentation by the French president of a bill against separatism and his interventions during the national tribute to teacher Samuel Paty whose assassination near his college by a radicalized Muslim moved France.

During this tribute, Emmanuel Macron promised that France would continue to defend the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, in the name of freedom of expression.

On Sunday evening, the French president posted several tweets, also in English and Arabic, stressing his rejection of "hate speech" and that he will continue to defend "reasonable debate". 

We will continue.


We respect all differences in a spirit of peace.


We never accept hate speech and stand for reasonable debate.

- Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 25, 2020

In its press release, the ministry specified, for its part, that the bill and the president's statements aim only to "fight against radical Islamism, and to do so with the Muslims of France, who are an integral part of the society, history and the French Republic ".

The Quai d'Orsay says it has mobilized the French diplomatic network "to remind and explain (to other countries) France's positions in terms of fundamental freedoms and rejection of hatred".

"Ensuring the safety" of French people abroad

Paris also asked the countries concerned to "dissociate themselves from any call for a boycott or any attack against our country, (to) support our companies and (to) ensure the safety of our compatriots abroad".

The Minister for Foreign Trade Franck Riester told AFP on Sunday evening that he was "in permanent contact with the French companies concerned (by the boycott, Editor's note) in the food industry", citing "Bel, Lactalis, and Danone".

I spoke today with some of the French brands affected by these calls to #boycott that nothing justifies.


I will continue to meet with all the professionals on a daily basis, in continuous connection with our diplomatic network mobilized by their side.

https://t.co/kqNqjyydeF

- Franck Riester (@franckriester) October 25, 2020

"We will have a little longer trading times tomorrow. We still have to observe the development in the days to come," he added. 

Asked about the first consequences of the call for a boycott, he replied: "There are impacts, but quantifying them is too early".

With AFP and Reuters

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