Al-Qaeda threatens France’s Emmanuel Macron, urges killing of those who insult Prophet
- President had defended freedom of speech following beheading of teacher who showed students cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed
- Macron’s remarks have sparked anger among Muslims, with some calling for boycott on French goods
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb urged its followers on Monday to kill anyone insulting the Prophet Mohammed and threatened French President Emmanuel Macron over his remarks on Islam.
Last month Macron defended the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed on the grounds of freedom of speech, launching a campaign against Islamic radicalism and sparking fury across the Muslim world.
“Killing anyone who insults the prophet is the right of each and every Muslim,” the jihadist group, known by its French acronym AQMI, said in a statement.
Macron’s remarks came after beheading of French teacher Samuel Paty near Paris by a suspected jihadist, after Paty had shown his students cartoons of the prophet Mohammed during a lesson on freedom of expression.
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Muslims protest against French leader’s defence of Prophet Mohammed cartoons, call for boycott
That followed the republication of the controversial cartoons in September by satirical French weekly Charlie Hebdo.
Macron has vowed to defend freedom of speech, but anger has spread among Muslims worldwide, with many vowing to boycott French products.