In France, four out of ten oppose Prophet Mohammed cartoons
France struggles with questions around freedom of speech, as half of the population supports limiting free expression online, according to a new poll.
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According to a Ifop poll published on Sunday, 42 percent of French people think that cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, offensive to many Muslims, should go unpublished, and half of respondents agree with baking “limitations on free speech online and on social networks.”
The poll was conducted last week, after the killing of twelve journalists at Charlie Hebdo by Islamist gunmen, who said they were taking revenge for the publication of Prophet Mohammed caricatures.
This comes one day after President Francois Hollande said freedom of expression is one of the the fundamental “values” of France.
The Sunday after the killings, an enormous march for unity took place across France, but some analysts worry that the killings will lead to an increase in racism against Muslims.
According to Al-Jazeera, the far right wing party Front National claims that they have seen a huge spike in new memberships since the Charlie Hebdo killings – a party often criticized for having racist tendencies.
The poll also reported that 81 percent of respondents were in favour of stripping French nationality from dual nationals who have committed an act of terrorism on French soil.
The choice of the Charlie Hebdo cover this week - yet another cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed – has led to protests around the world, notably in Niger where five people have died in the ongoing riots.
The same day, Charlie Hebdo’s editor in chief, Gérard Biard, defended the magazine’s decision on American television program “Meet the Press”.
Biard said that in drawing a caricature of the prophet, “we defend the freedom
of religion."
This, after Pope Francis said that there are limits to freedom of speech when it comes to religion.
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