Sisi on offensive cartoons: religious values, others’ feelings shall be considered

CAIRO – 7 December 2020: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi commented on recent controversy over cartoons depicting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, saying religious values should be considered.

In a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace on Monday, Sisi said freedom of expression should not lead to hurting the feelings of over 1 billion Muslims worldwide.

“In Egypt, our stance has been clear, which is supporting with full decisiveness against and condemning any terrorist act on any ground,” Sisi said.

“This is something we have condemned through the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and Al-Azhar, as a religious institution that is colored by moderation and that presents Islam as a good and moderate religion”.

“It is the right of any human to believe in what he believes in and to reject what he rejects … but it is very vital that when we express our viewpoint to not say that (it is fine) to transgress religious values for humanitarian values”

“The rank of religious values is much higher than the humanitarian values. Humanitarian values are values that we have made and we are able to develop or manage.”

“But religious values, if we admit that they are revealed by the great creator, Almighty God, are sacred and are above all values”.

Macron, for his part, said the cartoons are not a message from France to Muslims but rather a form of expression from a reporter.

Macron said that these acts comply with the law that has been chosen by France’s people, saying that many people opposing these cartoons respond to them peacefully.

Macron said, in France, we see that nothing can be above man and respect for the human person’s dignity, Macron said, adding it is the contribution of the philosophy of the Enlightenment.

In France, a journalist, a cartoonist, writes and draws freely. And the President nor any body ever does tell him what to do.