NEW DELHI: Satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo does it again and this time, it published a provocative cartoon depicting French Muslim student ‘as a monkey’ wearing the hijab.
The text, written on the cartoon, reads: “They chose me to head the UNEF (French National Student Union).”
19-year-old Maryam Pougetoux, leader of a student union at Paris’ Sorbonne University, is the latest victim of Islamophobic hate after she appeared in a documentary on French television wearing a hijab to talked about the ongoing student protests in France over education reforms proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, reported MSN news.
She is currently facing intense bullying, harassment and hate online – not for her views, but solely because she was seen in a hijab.
According to a BBC report, France’s interior minister Gerard Collomb was among those who criticized the student’s appearance and referred to her choice of attire as a “provocation.”
In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Maryam called the entire debate “pathetic.”
“I wasn’t expecting it to become a government matter,” she said.
“My veil has no political function. It is given a political meaning that I don’t give it myself. It is my faith,” she added. “I shouldn’t have to justify myself.”
The French magazine which has previously sparked controversy over its anti-Islam cartoons sparked outrage for their racist attack on Maryam.
Twitterati too stood in solidarity with #MaryamPougetoux
https://twitter.com/manshari1635/status/999483716828213248
https://twitter.com/JoshPCayetano/status/1000362773128404992
https://twitter.com/ChimaElbialy/status/999656107525201920
Spot the difference :
A Charlie Hebdo cartoon of a Muslim woman : dehumanised / animal-like
A Charlie Hebdo cartoon of a non-Muslim white woman: a human being#racism #Islamophobia #ToujoursCharlie #MaryamPougetoux #SoutienAMaryam pic.twitter.com/8Vq3Wjwdhj— GrayzoneFan (@KenefeManaiche) May 23, 2018