France has urged all its citizens in Pakistan to leave the country temporarily amid violent anti-French protests across the country. The country's embassy in Pakistan warned of "serious threats to French interests in Pakistan", saying protests were increasing nationwide. Two police officers died this week in renewed clashes with protesters. The protests were sparked months ago after France defended the right to show cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. In October last year, French President Emmanuel Macron strongly defended freedom of expression after the beheading of a teacher who showed such cartoons during a class discussion. This prompted anger in parts of the Muslim world, including Pakistan, where there were calls for a boycott of French goods. Depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are widely regarded as taboo in Islam, and are considered highly offensive by Muslims. The protests escalated this week after the Pakistani government arrested Saad Hussain Rizvi, leader of the...
Striving for a World without Capital Punishment