France ups the ante against Pakistan; urges EU to take similar steps to curb terrorism

Expressing serious concerns over the support provided by terrorists from countries like Turkey and Pakistan, French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jordan Bardella has called for “real financial or trade sanctions” against Ankara, Islamabad, Kuwait city and Doha. Bardella said that sanctions are needed in order to make “European solidarity tangible”.

Bardella has made the call at a time when the rift between France and Muslim countries are increasing. It may be recalled that France in has witnessed several terror attacks in October after Charlie Hebdo announced to republish the controversial cartoon of Prophet Muhammed. The situation worsened after French President Emmanuel Macron refused to criticise Charlie Hebdo’s decision.

Protests erupted in several Muslim countries over the incident and people in many Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE and Pakistan, joined calls to boycott French goods.

On October 16, a secondary school teacher was beheaded by a terrorist for using controversial cartoons of Prophet Mohammad in his classes. On October 30, a man stabbed three people to death and wounded several others in a church in Nice.

On November 2, an Islamist terrorist shot dead four people in Vienna.

“Ongoing tragedy and terrorism continues on European soil and Europe struggles to find a common solution to the constant killings of innocent victims at the hand of the terrorists and extremists,” the European Chronicle reported.