Countering the Hate Speech: An Analysis of Muslim Countries Response to Macron’s Speech Against Muslims After the Charlie Hebdo Incident

Abstract

After the Charlie Hebdo incident and the brutal murder of a teacher, the French president Emmanuel Macron addressed against Muslims which made him a target of anger in the Muslim world. In response, the representatives of the Muslim majority nations issued statements to condemn his speech. This study is an attempt to analyze the discourse produced by the leaders of the Islamic countries in response to the French president’s speech regarding the Charlie Hebdo incident analyzing the sentiments of Muslims globally. To examine this discourse, the research engaged with Critical Discourse Studies as its framework, with a focus upon Van Dijk’s Ideological Square Model as well as NVivo for linguistic inquiry. The study incorporated responses collected from October to November 2020 from the leaders of Islamic countries and examined through macro and micro analysis by incorporating the clash of civilization and orientalism theories. The study concluded that the French President’s speech generalized the Muslims around the world and tagged them with the attackers as if the whole Muslim community was responsible for it. It further apprehended that a quick narrative can counter Islamophobia just as Muslim leaders responded to Macron’s hate speech to address Muslims’ sentiments around the world.