# Do I have to boycott French products?

*Protests and boycotts of France: understandable, but do not guilt-trip others*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/anlfdeeoh5y/s/4/
- Date: 2020-10-29 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Cartoons of The Prophet & Boycotting France | Mufti Abu Layth (9:06–13:38)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNLFdEEOH5Y&t=546s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/anlfdeeoh5y/

**Topics:** Current events commentary; Blasphemy, insult and free speech

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** No: boycotting is a personal choice and understandable, and state-level boycotts make sense, but Muslims who do not boycott should not be guilt-tripped.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that if a Muslim does not boycott France, they should not be guilt-tripped, since it is a personal choice.

**Evidence, his words at 9:44:** “if somebody doesn't boycott france i don't think they should be guilt-tripped i don't think you should kill trip” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNLFdEEOH5Y&t=584s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth calls the French administration's move a shame and very provocative, hopes Muslims will not react violently, and says protesting is their right. He says he can understand Muslims choosing to boycott France economically, but that those who do not boycott should not be guilt-tripped or pressured, giving the example of someone buying a French perfume. He says boycotts by Muslim countries at state level make sense as a state-to-state response that hits where it hurts, given France's large exports to North Africa and the Middle East, a legacy of colonisation, while noting the products themselves did nothing. He says a president who acts this way is a Neanderthal who should be replaced by someone cool-headed and diplomatic, and repeats that boycotting is a personal choice.

## Sources and names cited

- Emmanuel Macron
- European colonisation of the Muslim world

## Transcript (machine tier, 9:06–13:38)

[8:26] they shouldn't assault you but you're probably putting yourself up for assault but if the president of a country wants to endorse that logo now that's just taking this to a ridiculous height like what the hell like a president and a government a a monarch they shouldn't be getting involved in these things they should be always seen as people who take everybody's sentiments into consideration not just uh you know the majority so i think that is a very um

[9:05] you know it's it's a shame what the french administration is doing i think that um it is very provocative i i i hope muslims do not react violently protesting is their right and they have reacted in the thousands and thousands worldwide with protests if they want to economically boycott france i can understand it i feel that if they want to do that that's fine

[9:44] um if somebody doesn't boycott france i don't think they should be guilt-tripped i don't think you should kill trip like if you see a muslim buying i don't know what's what's french um i've forgotten what's french but if there's a french designer is dior i think dior is french chanel chanel is french so if you see somebody buying chanel perfume and you say oh my god you've got you know you just you know i think that's wrong don't don't pressure muslims into that

[10:24] it's a personal choice if muslims want to do it but i totally understand it um i the fact that muslim countries are doing it at a state level is makes sense that like it's a state for state response like if a president of a country responds to a president with that response because that's where it hurts so basically they hit in the pockets because the pockets are what hurt and make no mistake that these you know the french exports they have a huge export to the arab speaking world

[11:03] most of north africa it you know it buys so many french products it's several countries in the middle east by so because of the colonialization so you've got the whole thing still going on and i think that apps that is a justified response um absolutely but uh but i don't think it on the same token i don't think you have the right to guilt-trip people who don't boycott them so if they do buy french products ultimately i do understand that the french products didn't do that

[11:42] so we have to make that distinction that i understand let's just say i i don't want to pick a particular one in case they did [Laughter] and i get it wrong but i understand all of those products i'm sure didn't necessarily support the charlie hebdo thing that said at a state level statutory level because the status got involved to say well we feel it's a right to disrespect the prophet muhammad which i think is so dumb i i can't believe you'd have to have the brain of a neanderthal to think like that because really people presidents and prime ministers are

[12:21] people who are diplomats who know how to make the country prosper economically in this day and age they have to be diplomatic this kind of a you know thuggery response like our big fu to all the muslims here is you know if your president is doing that that is so such a a neanderthal of a president that you've got honestly that that is somebody that is going to sink that ship you really need to replace that president with somebody who's got a higher iq because you need in this day and age you need you always need the person in control

[12:58] to be cool-headed having a hot head yes so i hope that um i want to share that and that that's my thoughts on it so i know when muslims start boycotting what happens is they start guilt-tripping other muslims that is wrong as well you shouldn't guilt trip people it's your own personal choice right somebody said we've trolled macron i am macroni macaroni we've trolled macaroni all day on twitter the whole government is on crack yeah man i do feel sorry for

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment aNLFdEEOH5Y/s/4. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/anlfdeeoh5y/s/4/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.