News – Viral Footage shows First Lady Brigitte Macron appearing to slap President Emmanuel Macron moments before their arrival in Hanoi, Vietnam on May 25.
Moments later, Macron extends his hand toward her, which she visibly does not take, and can be clearly seen in the captured video.
Comment – The incident, captured inside the presidential aircraft, has been captured by many cameras.
In a world where “freedom of speech” is celebrated as a pillar of modern democracy, it is striking though not surprising how selectively that freedom is granted and practiced. We are told that speech must be protected, even when it wounds billions of hearts, even if it is insulting the sacred. Yet the same voices that demand this absolute liberty are often the quickest to ban, silence, or shame those who speak inconvenient truths, or truth to power.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron has championed himself as a defender of secular liberalism.
Under this banner, offensive caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are framed as legitimate expressions of satire and civil discourse.
Yet the very same government has banned peaceful pro-Palestinian rallies, especially during times of Israeli aggression. Censored and fined comedians for jokes deemed “offensive” or “divisive.”
Policed speech and attire, under the guise of preserving French identity.
Is this truly freedom of expression? Or is it the weaponization of speech to maintain a particular narrative?
SubhanAllah! When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was insulted during his life, his enemies, notably Al As-ibn Wail mocked him by calling him “abtar”which means “cut off,” implying that he had no legacy.
Allah Al-Azeem revealed in Surah Al-Kawthar,
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ
“Indeed, your enemy is the one who is cut off.”
(Surah Al-Kawthar, 108:3)
Today, more than 1.9 billion people revere his ﷺ name and follow his ﷺ example. His ﷺ words are memorized in hearts. His ﷺ character is unmatched in history.
Even after more than 1400 years later, The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the most mentioned in history. Not a second passes without someone, somewhere, sending durood (blessings) upon him, even in salah durood is sent upon him across the world ﷺ
Millions of Muslims name their children after him ﷺ out of love.
Meanwhile, his enemies are footnotes in books, made as abtar الْأَبْتَرُ, just as Allah said.
When world leaders today dare to mock the Prophet ﷺ, they only repeat the arrogance of those who came before them, fools who tried to spit at the sun.
Recent viral footage widely circulated showing Macron’s wife slapping Macron is widely captured by many cameras to be a witness for the world.
Here is a man who has offended the sacred, yet was publicly dismissed/humiliated by the very one closest to him.
To believers, this isn’t about pettiness. It’s about a reminder that dignity belongs to those who defend the truth, who defend the messengers of truth, and dishonor follows those who mock it, no matter their title or throne, either here or in hereafter.
A profound reminder to introspect ourselves as well on collective level, as an ummah, that are we not at risk of becoming abtar (without legacy and honour) as we cut off from our roots, our guidance, and our honour when we leave behind the deen (system, complete way of living life) of the Prophet ﷺ and has reduced it to mere rituals on societal levels in so called muslim countries?
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ