Leave Pakistan Immediately Amidst Anti-French Protests: French Embassy in Pakistan
Banning of TLP and Arrest of Saad Hussain Rizvi Along with Demonstrations Against France Has Led to Death of Two Police Officers
The government of France has urged their citizens currently residing in Pakistan to urgently leave the country’s premises for a temporary time duration amid the increasing violence during the anti-French protests which are being held throughout the country. The French embassy located in Pakistan has been warned before time regarding serious threats to the interest of the French in Pakistan, as the intensity of nationwide anti-French protests is escalating.
Two police officers have died in a single week during the renewed clashes with the demonstrators involved in the anti-French protests. The public disagreement was initiated several months ago after France defended their privileges to showcase disrespectful cartoons of Prophet Mohammad P.B.U.H.
In the month of October in the previous year, the President of France Emmanuel Macron was in strong defiance with the freedom of expression after a male student beheaded his teacher during a class discussion after he showed the entire class the caricatures that had been drawn in a derogatory manner of Prophet Mohammad.
This has prompted a very angry reaction from various parts across the Muslim world, which now has turned into anti-French protests, including the country of Pakistan, where a complete boycott of French goods was conducted for multiple days throughout the country.
The depictions of Prophet Mohammad are regarded as a very severe taboo in the religion of Islam and are considered an act of high offensiveness by the Muslim community.
The nationwide anti-French protests escalated in the third week of April after the government of Pakistan publicly arrested the leader of a hardline political party named Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) Saad Hussain Rizvi, who had previously called for the expulsion of the ambassador of France from Pakistan.
The arrest of Saad Hussain Rizvi, along with a move by the authorities of Pakistan to ban the entire party of TLP has brought tens of hundreds of supporters for the political party out on the streets to protests against the Pakistani government. The police department has fired water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets at the massive crowds which had gathered during the anti-French protests being conducted at various locations across the country.
Previous protests by TLP
The Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan has previously gathered in large crowds to demonstrate over issues of blasphemy regarding the Prophet Mohammad. Under the law of Pakistan, those individuals who are found guilty of insulting the Prophet Mohammad would face the penalty of death.
During a press conference conducted on Wednesday, the Interior Minister of Pakistan, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has stated that the entire country of Pakistan is in favor of defending the honor of Prophet Mohammad along with anti-French protests if conducted in a peaceful manner. Although the demands put forward by the TLP have the ability to portray the country of Pakistan as a radical nation across the world.
On the official website of the French embassy located in Pakistan, it has been posted that the public anti-French protests are escalating in intensity across Pakistan. And in this context, along with serious threats against the best interest of France in Pakistan, the French nationals have recommended the individuals currently residing in the country leave the region via the existing commercial airlines to prevent any probable case of risk of fatality.
State Secularism of France
In the country of France, state secularism is the focal point of the national identity of the country. The freedom to express in educational institutes along with other public places is also a major part of that, and limiting it to protect the emotional state of a very particular religion being observed in the country is a discouragement to the national unity.
Charlie Hebdo, the satirical magazine, was targeted in a jihadist attack conducted in the city of Paris in the year 2015 when he drew blasphemy caricatures of Prophet Mohammad while mocking other religions.
In the month of October last year, the comments provided by Mr. Macron were in favor of the rights of the magazine to publicly publish the cartoons that had been drawn, which immediately trigger a very angry response from the entire Muslim world, while thousands of individuals came forward to demonstrate against this act of blasphemy, along with Iran and other Muslim countries as they have begun to organize anti-French protests and boycotts.
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