France's President Macron issues 'republican values' ultimatum to religious leaders

French President Emmanuel Macron on November 19 has asked the Muslim leaders in the nation to adhere to “charter of republican values”. The leader of the country rocked with the unrest of ‘terror’ attacks and the repercussions of his remarks against extremism has given the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) a 15-day ultimatum to accept the charter. 

The CFCM has said in a statement that it has agreed to create a National Council of Imams that will reportedly issue the imams with official accreditation that can be withdrawn by the authorities. The “charter of republican values” will state Islam as a religion and not a political movement along with restriction of “foreign interference”. Among other missions, CNI will be offering training to the approved imams, assisting accredited imams in the context of preventing radicalization and developing social cohesion ad “respect for pluralism”.

CFCM said in the statement, “The President of the Republic [Emmanuel Macron] has taken note of this progress and gives a new meeting with the heads of the federations (in two weeks) to finalize all the documents including the "charter of values" with a view to a solemn declaration announcing the implementation.”

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Jaish-e-Mohammed warns Emmanuel Macron

Meanwhile, as the unrest budding from France’s handling of terror attacks and remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron continues to intensify, he has now been warned by a United Nations (UN) designated terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Several media reports have cited an unsigned article on the website of the extremist group’s online journal Al Qalam that referred to Macron as “blasphemer” and warned other leaders like him that they will be a target of those who are ready “to be sacrificed for the honour of the Prophet”.

From gruesome stabbing inside a Nice church that killed three, a suspicious package being found inside St martin Church in Metz, the unrest in France roots from the October 16 ‘terror attack’ when an 18-year-old beheaded French history teacher, Samuel Paty for showing Prophet Muhammad’s caricatures to his pupils. While paying tribute to the slain man, the French President had defended the nation’s brand of secularism along with its long-standing tradition of satire. He has vowed to “not give up cartoons” and added, “I am not going to change our laws because they shock elsewhere.”

(Image credit: AP)

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