By Mohammad Bandarees
RABAT, Morocco (AA) – Social media campaigns across Morocco continued to call for a boycott of French products over recent offensive remarks by President Emmanuel Macron against Islam and Muslim communities.
Hashtags on the boycott were the top trending topics on Twitter in Morocco.
"What is happening in France is persecution of a religious minority. France can't justify such persecution under the pretext of expressions of freedom and secularism," said Mohammed Jabron, an Islamic history professor.
He added that "the French state is responsible for protecting its people from abuses and offenses to their sanctities."
A number of Moroccan parties also slammed the French campaign against Islam.
The Unity and Reform Movement rejected French attempts to abuse Islam and its symbols.
The country’s second largest opposition party, the Istiqlal (Independence) Party, also expressed "deep resentment over the insulting cartoons against Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the remarks against Islam."
The party called for dialogue to address cases connected to Islamophobia and extremism and to find a formula for coexistence.
In recent weeks, Macron has attacked Islam and the Muslim community, accusing Muslims of "separatism." He described Islam as “a religion in crisis all over the world."
His remarks coincided with a provocative move by Charlie Hebdo, a left-wing French satirical magazine infamous for publishing anti-Islamic caricatures which have triggered widespread anger and outrage across the Muslim world.
Earlier this year, it republished cartoons insulting Islam and Prophet Muhammad.
The caricatures were first published in 2006 by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, sparking a wave of protests.
*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara
