A manifesto published in the French daily Le Parisien on April 21, signed by some 300 prominent intellectuals and politicians, made a demand changing Quran.
The proposal grounds on the claim that the Quran incites violence and anti-Semitism. It insisted that “the verses of the Quran calling for murder and punishment of Jews, Christians, and nonbelievers be struck to obsolescence by religious authorities,” so that “no believer can refer to a sacred text to commit a crime.”
The manifesto was signed by former President Nicolas Sarkozy, former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, French singer Charles Aznavour and actor Gerard Depardieu as well.
Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ and EU Affairs Minister Ömer Çelik on Monday slammed the manifesto. “300 French intellectuals/politicians including former French president/fierce Islam enemy Sarkozy sought the removal of some verses from the Quran on the basis that they spread violence and anti-Semitism. They are the imbeciles of the 21st century and the Western version of Daesh.” Bozdağ said in a post.
“300 French writers and politicians asked for taking out some verses from Holy Quran by arguing that it spreads violence and antisemitism. Those people, with such a barbaric and unethical demand, actually announced that they have signed up to ideological affinity with Daesh.” Çelik stated.