France Angry at Pakistani Minister's Comment
The comments posted on Twitter by Pakistan's Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on Saturday came as part of a clash between Pakistan and France over the publication of offensive cartoons of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) by a notorious French magazine.
The images have sparked anger and protests in the Muslim world, especially in Pakistan.
"Macron is doing to Muslims what the Nazis did to the Jews - Muslim children will get ID numbers (other children won't) just as Jews were forced to wear the yellow star on their clothing for identification," Mazari said in a tweet linking to an online article.
France condemned the comments.
"These hateful words are blatant lies, imbued with an ideology of hatred and violence. Such slander is unworthy of this level of responsibility. We reject them with the greatest firmness," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll said, adding that Paris had informed the Pakistan embassy of its strong condemnation of the comments.
"Pakistan must rectify these remarks and return to the path of a dialogue based on respect."
But, in a follow-up tweet on Sunday, Mazari doubled down on her remarks following condemnation by France's foreign ministry late on Saturday.
"Why are nuns [in France] allowed to wear their "habit" in public places but Muslim women, not their hijab? Discrimination, n'est ce pas [isn't it so]?" Mazari tweeted.
Macron has demanded that Muslim leaders in France agree to a controversial "charter of republican values" as part of a broad clampdown on what he says is "Islamist separatism".
The charter will state that Islam is a religion and apolitical. It also wants to stop other Muslim countries from helping France's beleaguered Muslim community in what Paris views as "foreign interference."
Macron has also announced a new measure, called draconian by critics, that includes giving French children an identification number to ensure they are attending school.
Pakistan's parliament at the end of October passed a resolution urging the government to recall its envoy from Paris, accusing Macron of "hate-mongering" against Muslims.
Macron had paid tribute to a French history teacher who was beheaded by an 18-year-old man of Chechen origin for showing denigrating caricatures in a class on freedom of speech.
French officials have said the beheading was an assault on the core French value of freedom of expression.
Macron's critics, however, say he is stigmatizing Muslims following three separate terrorist attacks, which were roundly condemned by the Muslim community.
Macron's hamfisted plan to tackle "extremism" has been condemned by many Muslims inside France and internationally, too.
Source: TRT World
