Paris (SD) – French President Emmanuel Macron says he can understand why Muslims are horrified by the controversial cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said that he could never accept that violence is the answer to the issue.

“I understand the sentiments expressed and I respect Muslims but i have to do my part now and I have to do two things, promote stability and also protect rights, “he said, referring to the freedom of speech of those who made the cartoons.

Macron’s statement comes after the attack on Thursday that killed a man in a church in the city of Nice, which is suspected to have been carried out by an Islamists.

There has been a growing rift between some Muslim countries and Macron over the issue of cartoons.

Some Muslim leaders urged their citizens to boycott French production as Mr. Macron defended the rights to use the images as freedom of expression.