By defending his country’s model of secularism and integration of minorities, French President Emmanuel Macron has sparked controversy even beyond the Islamic world.

Macron’s approach for the integration of Europe’s largest Muslim community and the measures taken to combat radical Islam have received criticism not just in the Muslim-majority countries but by English-language newspapers and international political allies.

The New York Times, in its recent headline, wrote, “Is France fuelling Muslim terrorism by trying to prevent it?” Similarly,  The Washington Post newspaper advised Macron to fight racism rather than try to “reform Islam”. 

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Paying tribute to the slain teacher Samuel Paty, Macron defended France’s strict brand of secularism and its long tradition of satire. “We will not give up cartoons,” he vowed.

These statements came on the heels of a speech in early October in which he described Islam as being “in crisis” and battered “Islamist separatism” in parts of France.

The Financial Times, a paper usually enthusiastic in its support for Macron, published a piece by a correspondent entitled “Macron’s war on ‘Islamic separatism’ only divides France further”. 

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The paper later took down the column, citing factual errors, but later published a piece by French scholar Olivier Roy, with the headline “French battle against Islamist ‘separatism’ is at odds with the commitment to liberty.”

Defending France’s stance in a letter to the FT in which he denied stigmatising Muslims, Macron wrote “France — we are attacked for this — is as secular for Muslims as for Christians, Jews, Buddhists and all believers.”