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View all search resultsMa'ruf decries French president's remarks
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V
ice President Ma’ruf Amin has expressed concern over the perpetuation of an Islamophobic narrative that challenges the promotion of moderate Islam, a spokesman said on Tuesday, in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent denunciation of radical Islamists.
“The Vice President regrets the statement made by President Macron that generalizes that all Muslims [are alike], without examining the different teachings or whether those who interpret Islam may be in the wrong,” Ma’ruf’s spokesperson Masduki Baidlowi told The Jakarta Post.
Masduki, in quoting the Vice President stressed that the version of Islam that is found in Indonesia is one that is peaceful, moderate in practice and allows for people of different faiths to live side by side.
However, he also acknowledged that Islamophobia continued to take hold in Europe and in the Americas, and that there were “campaigns” to reproduce the assumption that Islam is a harmful religion.
“This is a challenge for us in promoting a peaceful and just Islam – an Islam that is tolerant, can coexist with an array of differences and one that recognizes human rights and democracy,” the official said.
“This is what needs to be introduced to European society – not that they need to have it introduced, at least at the grassroots level,” he added.
The comments come as France was shaken by the gruesome murder of history teacher Samuel Paty on Oct. 16, allegedly for showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to pupils in a class discussion on free speech, news agencies have reported.
