Bangladesh Islamic party holds anti-France rally

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, a religious political party, on Thursday protested against the anti-Islam rhetoric and publication of blasphemous cartoons in France.

Protesters at the rally chanted slogans against France, and urged Bangladeshis for a boycott of French products.

Shafiqur Rahman, a party leader, said Muslims cannot tolerate any insult against the Prophet Muhammad.

"I expect all Muslims to raise their voice against France's pro-blasphemy stance strongly but peacefully," he told Anadolu Agency.

Addressing the rising trend of Islamophobia in Europe, he said: "Muslims across the world should stay united, and not let anyone ridicule Islam."

Thousands of protesters from the Islami Andolon Bangladesh group also demonstrated against French President Emmanuel Macron’s defense of blasphemous cartoons on Tuesday.

They demanded a boycott of French goods, and urged the Bangladeshi government to expel France's ambassador. Police had placed barricades to keep marchers away from the French embassy.

Muslims have been calling for both protests and a boycott of French goods in response to the controversial statements following the killing of a French teacher who showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in class.

Macron also described Islam as a "a religion in crisis," and initiated a crackdown against "Islamist separatism."