France Warns Citizens In Indonesia And Other Muslim Majority Countries To Be Careful

JAKARTA - Criticism against the French government continues to come from many countries, especially Muslim-majority ones. France is responding to the dynamics with their latest calls to remind residents in Muslim-majority countries to be careful.

The French government became aware of a surge in the anger of the Muslim world against them on Tuesday. The warning was officially conveyed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by letter.

The countries listed in the letter are Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iraq and Maurtania. Even the French government prohibits its citizens from attending public meetings and asks them to stay away from areas that are the center of protests and demonstrations, if any.

"It is recommended to exercise the greatest precautions, especially when traveling, and in places frequented by tourists or the expatriate community," said a statement from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Caution also applies to French citizens in Turkey. Earlier Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed criticism of France. Erdogan even called for a boycott of French products.

France, through Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin responded to Turkey's attitude. He asked Turkey not to interfere in French internal affairs. Apart from Turkey, Darmanin also offended Pakistan which displayed a tough stance similar to Turkey. The heating up of relations between the two countries led France to withdraw its Ambassador from Ankara.

The current dispute stems from an attack outside a French school on October 16. An 18-year-old man from Chechnya beheaded Samuel Paty, a 47-year-old history teacher.

The teacher had previously shown his students caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in a subject on free speech. The cartoon first appeared several years ago in the satire magazine Charlie Hebdo, whose offices are in Paris.