PARIS — October’s knife slayings by freelance terrorists shocked the French but have not led to the global outpouring of sympathy for France seen after Islamist massacres in 2015 and 2016. European leaders have expressed solidarity, but the Muslim world has been convulsed with anti-French demonstrations and calls for a boycott. Beyond the magnitude of the attacks, the striking difference between then and now has much to do with President Emanuel Macron’s response, which has alienated many French Muslims and generated anger across the Muslim world. His government set in motion a broad-brush crackdown on Islamists and some Muslim organizations, with language that appeared to conflate Islam (the religion) with “Islamism” (an ideology that has sometimes led to violence). The two men will meet in Paris on Tuesday to discuss terrorism’s challenge to Europe, according to the Élysée Palace.

Source: International New York Times November 09, 2020 20:48 UTC