Tribune Fact Check: Mahatir Mohamad says Muslims have right to kill the French?

Statement is misleading as ex-Malaysian PM gives context for Muslims demonstrating restraint in face of provocation

An extract from a Twitter message by Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has been used by various news outlets and social media users as evidence of him purportedly saying that Muslims have the right to kill the French people after blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the country sparked worldwide uproar among members of the faith.

The Express Tribune found the claim to be misleading as Mahthir merely gives context to how even in the face of repeated provocation from the French government Muslims have always shown restraint from carrying out violent acts.

Various publications such as the Agence France-Presse and France 24 cherry picked his quote to serve their own narratives, a screengrab of which can be seen below.

"Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past. But by and large the Muslims have not applied the eye for an eye law. Muslims don’t. The French shouldn’t. Instead the French should teach their people to respect other people’s feeling," Mahatir, who served as Malaysian premier twice for a total of 24 years, wrote went on to say as he detailed how members of the faith had always opted to peace instead of shedding blood.

Mahathir, 95, a respected leader in the Muslim world, gave a blue print in the statement of how the western world must respect the values and beliefs of Muslims.

He underscored that hurting the religious sensibilities of any faith is not freedom of speech but injustice.

RESPECT OTHERS

1. A teacher in France had his throat slit by an 18-year-old Chechen boy. The killer was angered by the teacher showing a caricature of Prophet Muhammad. The teacher intended to demonstrate freedom of expression.

— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) October 29, 2020