Arab companies #BoycottFrenchProducts after President Macron’s remarks against Islam

Al Jazeera
October 26, 2020

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Several Arab trade associations have announced a boycott of French products, in response to recent comments made by President Emmanuel Macron on Islam.

Earlier this month, Macron pledged to fight “Islamist separatism”, which he said was threatening to take control in some Muslim communities around France.

He also described Islam as a religion “in crisis” worldwide and said the government would present a bill in December to strengthen a 1905 law that officially separated church and state in France.

His comments, in addition to his backing of satirical outlets publishing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, has led to a social media campaign calling for the boycott of French products from supermarkets in Arab countries and Turkey.

Hashtags such as the #BoycottFrenchProducts in English and the Arabic #NeverTheProphet trended across countries including Kuwait, Qatar, Palestine, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

In Kuwait, the chairman and members of the board of directors of the Al-Naeem Cooperative Society decided to boycott all French products and to remove them from supermarket shelves.

The Dahiyat al-Thuhr association took the same step, saying: “Based on the position of French President Emmanuel Macron and his support for the offensive cartoons against our beloved prophet, we decided to remove all French products from the market and branches until further notice.”

In Qatar, the Wajbah Dairy company announced a boycott of French products and pledged to provide alternatives, according to their Twitter account.

Al Meera Consumer Goods Company, a Qatari joint stock company, announced on Twitter: “We have immediately withdrawn French products from our shelves until further notice.”

“We affirm that as a national company, we work according to a vision consistent with our true religion, our established customs and traditions, and in a way that serves our country and our faith and meets the aspirations of our customers.”

Qatar University also joined the campaign. Its administration has postponed a French Cultural Week event indefinitely, citing the “deliberate abuse of Islam and its symbols”.

In a statement on Twitter, the university said any prejudice against Islamic belief, sanctities and symbols is “totally unacceptable, as these offences harm universal human values and the highest moral principles that contemporary societies highly regard”.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) described Macron’s statements as “irresponsible”, and said they are aimed at spreading a culture of hatred among peoples.

“At a time when efforts must be directed towards promoting culture, tolerance and dialogue between cultures and religions, such rejected statements and calls for publishing insulting images of the Prophet (Muhammad) – may blessings and peace be upon him – are published,” said the council’s secretary-general, Nayef al-Hajraf.

Al-Hajraf called on world leaders, thinkers and opinion leaders to reject hate speech and contempt of religions and their symbols, and to respect the feelings of Muslims, instead of falling captive to Islamophobia.

In a statement, Kuwait’s foreign ministry warned against the support of abuses and discriminatory policies that link Islam to terrorism, saying it “represents a falsification of reality, insults the teachings of Islam, and offends the feelings of Muslims around the world”.

On Friday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned what it said was France’s continued attack against Muslims by insulting religious symbols.

The secretariat of the Jeddah-based organisation said in a statement it is surprised at the official political rhetoric issued by some French officials that offend French-Islamic relations and fuels feelings of hatred for political party gains.

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News Network
February 3,2025

Mandya: An eight-year-old girl has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by two boys inside the washroom of her school in Mandya district of Karnataka, police said on Monday.

The incident was alleged to have occurred on January 31. However, the complaint came to light on Sunday when the girl's mother approached the police, they said.

Citing her statement, a senior police officer said that the class two student of a government school has alleged that two boys allegedly took her to the washroom where they threatened her to remove clothes and thereafter thrashed her with a stick. They also beat her on her private parts.

One of the boys she identified is her classmate while another is from a higher class, he said.

The girl alleged that the accused students threatened her not to disclose the incident to anyone but later she confided in her mother, he added.

Based on the statement of the girl, a case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act against the two boys and an investigation is underway to ascertain the sequence of events and verify facts, said Mandya Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baladandi.

As part of the investigation, police are also reviewing the CCTV footage from the school premises.
However, the medical examination report of the girl did not reveal any such injury on private parts, police said, adding that statements of the boys will be recorded and further action will be taken accordingly.

"We are currently investigating the case and are verifying details given by the girl in her statement. There are some inconsistencies in her account," he added.

Meanwhile, BJP State President B Y Vijayendra condemned the incident on social media platform X alleging that law and order in the state had completely deteriorated with cases of rape of minors, assault on women and daylight robberies being reported in the state.

He demanded that strict action be taken against the perpetrators.

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News Network
February 6,2025

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Udupi: In the serene town of Shirva Manchakal, Udupi district, a profound sorrow has enveloped the community. Rakesh Kamath, a dedicated chartered accountant, aged 32, has tragically passed away on February 5 at Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, following a brief illness.

A devoted son of businessman Balakrishna Kamath, he had recently journeyed to Hyderabad for professional commitments. He was employed at a private firm in Bengaluru.

Upon his return, he fell ill. Despite medical intervention and initial signs of recovery, his condition suddenly worsened, leading to his untimely collapse. 

His wife acted swiftly, admitting him to Manipal Hospital, but despite all efforts, he did not respond to treatment and departed from this world.

He leaves behind his beloved wife, CA Shruti, along with a multitude of relatives and friends who now mourn the loss of a vibrant soul taken too soon. 

The community stands in solidarity with the grieving family during this heart-wrenching time.

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Agencies
February 7,2025

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US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order slapping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) for what he called baseless investigations targeting America and its close ally Israel over genocide in Gaza.

Trump's order said on Thursday the court in The Hague had "abused its power" by issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who held talks with the US president on Tuesday.

The order also said the tribunal had engaged in "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting the United States and Israel," referring to ICC’s probes into US war crimes in Afghanistan and Israel's onslaught on Gaza.

The order includes asset freezes and travel bans against ICC officials, employees, and their family members, along with anyone deemed to have helped the court's investigations.

Last November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former minister of military affairs, Yoav Gallant.

The warrants are for "crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024."

The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I issued warrants of arrest for Netanyahu and Gallant "for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest”, it confirmed in a statement Thursday.

It was the first instance in the court's 22-year history it had issued arrest warrants for Western-allied senior officials.

In its statement, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I, a panel of three judges, said it has rejected appeals by Israel challenging its jurisdiction.

Trump imposed financial sanctions and a visa ban during his first term on the ICC's then-prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, and other senior officials and staff in 2020.

Trump’s then-administration made the move after Bensouda launched an investigation into allegations of war crimes against US soldiers in Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden lifted the sanctions soon after taking office in 2021.

In January 2024, the international court of justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent genocide in Gaza. However, the regime has ignored the court's verdict.

Cuba has now officially declared its intention to join South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ.  Cuba is the 14th country to join the case.

 In December 2023, South Africa initiated legal proceedings against Israel, accusing it of breaching the Genocide Convention in its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.

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