Turkey's Cavusoglu Calls For Action To Tackle Islamophobia, Other Extremist Views

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2020) Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday has called on the international community to respond to rising Islamophobia, along with xenophobia and anti-Semitism, in the wake of rising tensions in Europe following the recent terrorist attacks in France and Vienna.

"The rise of populism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, as well as right- and left-wing extremism are other important issues that we need to address. These dangerous trends threaten our democracies and fundamental values such as human rights and freedom of speech and religion," Cavusoglu said during the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Ministerial Council meeting.

Focusing on the issue of Islamophobia, Cavusoglu said that European leaders needed to find the right balance between respecting religion and the preservation of other freedoms; referring to the controversy in France following the publication of caricatures depicting the prophet Muhammad published by the Charlie Hebdo magazine.

"We should strike the right balance between respect of religion and other freedoms. Nothing can justify insulting our beloved prophet. Political leaders have a special responsibility for that. They should unite but not divide," the Turkish foreign minister said.

Cavusoglu also criticized the French government's treatment of at least 14 Muslim schoolchildren, who were investigated by police over comments posted online following the death of Samuel Paty, a French teacher who was beheaded in October after reportedly showing the caricatures of the Islamic prophet in class.

Following Paty's death, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to get tougher on radical islam, drawing the ire of the Turkish government. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, slammed Macron's "anti-Islamic" rhetoric and called on his country's citizens to boycott French goods.