Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi strongly criticized the offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - and stressed the need to stop harming the feelings of Muslims, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the policies of his French counterpart as evil and ugly, and accused the West of working to restore the Crusades.
The Egyptian President said today, Wednesday, that freedom of expression should stop when it comes to injuring the feelings of more than a billion and a half billion people.
Al-Sisi made it clear that he totally rejects "any acts of violence or terrorism issued by any party under the slogan of defending religion or sacred religious symbols."
He said, "People have the right to express what is going on in their minds, but this stops when it comes to hurting the feelings of more than a billion and a half."
"Stop hurting us," he added.
In turn, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his criticism of French President Emmanuel Macron against the background of the latter's defense of the offensive cartoons and his statements in which he said that the Islamic religion is in crisis in various parts of the world.
"France and Europe in general do not deserve the evil, provocative and ugly policies pursued by Macron and those of the same mentality," Erdogan said on Wednesday.
Crusades
In the same context, Erdogan accused the Western countries that attack Islam of wanting to "restore the Crusades," and said, "Standing against the attack on the Prophet is a matter of honor for us."
In a related context, the Turkish president strongly criticized Wednesday his portrayal in a caricature drawing published by the French satirical magazine "Charlie Hebdo", calling it a "despicable attack" by "bastards".
"I didn't look at this drawing, I don't need to say anything about these bastards," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara.
"My anger is not caused by the despicable attack against my person, but by the insults of the Prophet," he added, may God bless him and grant him peace.
Earlier, the Turkish parliament strongly condemned the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron that are insulting to Islam and Muslims.
The Parliament's General Assembly approved in a vote session a memorandum submitted by Parliament Speaker Mustafa Shantoub in this regard, strongly condemning and condemning Macron's statements.
A joint statement of 4 parties represented in the Turkish Parliament called on thought leaders, politicians and artists in the West to take a stand against what it described as the provocative and insulting statements of Islam and its noble Messenger.
The parties - the Justice and Development Party, the Republican People's Party, the Nationalist Movement Party and the Good Party - said that Macron's statements will lead to results at the international level that will stimulate the outbreak of conflicts and disagreements that will negatively and deeply affect all people and religions.