The French foreign ministry has summoned Pakistan’s envoy to protest claims by President Arif Alvi that a French bill cracking down on radical Islam stigmatises Muslims.
Addressing a conference on religion on Saturday, the Pakistan President said: “When you see that laws are being changed in favour of a majority to isolate a minority, that is a dangerous precedent.”
Specifically referring to the legislation drafted after the beheading of a French teacher by an Islamist radical over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, Alvi said: “When you insult the Prophet, you insult all Muslims. I urge the political leadership of France not to entrench these attitudes into laws… You have to bring people together—not to stamp a religion in a certain manner and create disharmony among the people or create bias.”
Pakistan was one of several Muslim countries that saw violent anti-French protests in October over President Emmanuel Macron’s defence of the right to show cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed.
The French foreign ministry said late Monday it had called in Pakistan’s charge d’affaires to mark “our surprise and our disapproval (over Alvi’s remarks), given that the bill contains no discriminatory element”.
“The charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Pakistan in France has been summoned to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs following the remarks made by the Pakistani president during a conference which took place from February 20 to 21 relating to the bill to strengthen respect for the principles of the Republic,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry clarified that the bill is guided by the fundamental principles relating to the freedom of religion and the freedom of conscience, makes no distinction between different religions and its provisions will therefore also apply to all faiths.
“We expressed our surprise and disapproval, while the bill does not include any discriminatory provisions, in accordance with our Constitution and our international commitments. Extensive consultations on the bill were carried out by representatives of the major religions, civil society, associations and political parties,” the statement read. “Pakistan must understand this and adopt a constructive attitude with respect to our bilateral relations,” it added.
Relations between France and Pakistan deteriorated last year after Pakistani leadership attacked the French government and president Emmanuel Macron for not condemning caricatures of the Prophet.