Hezbollah Chief Lambasts Nice Terror Attack

Seyed Hassan Nasrallah made the remarks in a televised speech on the occasion of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) birthday on Friday, a day after the deadly attack. 

The attack came days after another assailant decapitated Samuel Paty, a history teacher, who had used offensive cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in a civics class in the capital Paris.

The Paris attack prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to say that he would fight against “Islamist separatism,” which according to him threatens to take control in some Muslim communities across France.

The French leader also defended showing the insulting cartoon in schools across the European country and considered the highly provocative move in line with freedom of expression, a move that has infuriated Muslims across the globe.

“What is the message which the French authorities want to send to the Muslims by insisting on allowing the cartoons which insult Islam?” Nasrallah said, Al Manar reported.

“Instead of addressing the root causes of the problem, the French authorities waged a war of this sort, claiming that it is a matter of freedom of speech,” he added.

The chief of Hezbollah strongly rejected Macron’s use of the “Islamic terror” term, saying religions cannot be blamed for crimes committed by individuals. He also said that no one blamed Christianity for the crime committed by the French military in Algeria or the atrocities of the US military across the globe.

Nasrallah also emphasized that Takfiri terrorist groups in the Middle East have been protected by the US administration and European governments, adding that employing those terrorists to carry out certain political and military schemes must be stopped.

Nasrallah maintained that if some Muslims have distorted their own religion, this does not give others any right to abuse Islam, stressing that the Islamic teachings have nothing to do with the crimes committed by terrorist groups.

He further called on the French authorities to reconsider the kind of freedom of speech that infringes on human dignity, saying that freedom of expression is restricted by political considerations, citing the example of French philosopher Roger Geraudy who was persecuted for denying the Holocaust.

Nasrallah also called on the French authorities and public opinion to avoid blaming Islam and all Muslims for the Nice or similar attacks elsewhere, stressing that such acts are illegal and immoral and that only the culprits must be punished.

Separately on Friday, thousands of Muslims staged rallies in different countries across the world, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Lebanon, Palestine, and India, to condemn France’s anti-Islam stance.

A number of countries have already boycotted French products to show their strong dissent against Macron’s anti-Islam remarks.