French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit Malaysia from 16 to 17 November 2026, marking his inaugural visit to the country since assuming the presidency. According to the French Ambassador to Malaysia, Marc Abensour, the visit aims to elevate bilateral relations between Malaysia and France to the level of a Strategic Partnership, with key areas of cooperation including defence and security, aerospace, energy transition, critical minerals, and digital infrastructure – encompassing data centres and semiconductors.

We, Hizb ut Tahrir / Malaysia hereby express our vehement objection to Macron’s visit, regardless of the Malaysian government’s rationale for hosting the visit, be it to strengthen diplomatic ties, trade, investment, or strategic cooperation. Numerous crimes have been committed by Macron and France against Islam and the Muslim Ummah, rendering them enemies of Islam whose presence ought not to be welcome in Muslim lands:

First: France is a colonial power with a long history of subjugating Muslim lands. Algeria was colonised for 132 years (1830–1962), while Tunisia and Morocco were ruled as protectorates. In West Africa, France colonised numerous territories, including Senegal, Mali, Niger, and Mauritania. Meanwhile, Syria and Lebanon were placed under French mandate administration following the First World War. This colonisation was not merely territorial conquest; it also encompassed political, ideological, and economic domination, as well as the exploitation of the wealth and resources of Muslim lands.

Second: Macron defended the right to publish caricatures insulting the Messenger of Allah (saw). In October 2020, Macron defended this act in the name of freedom of expression, showing complete disregard for the outrage and protests of Muslims worldwide. Any insult directed against Allah (swt), His Messenger (saw him), Islam, or any of its sacred symbols is wholly unacceptable and beyond compromise.

Third: France’s increasingly stringent policy of secularism has targeted its Muslim populace by curtailing their religious freedom. Macron has openly declared that Islam is a religion experiencing a crisis across the world. His government enacted the Law on Respecting the Principles of the Republic in 2021, enforced a ban on wearing the Abaya (loose-fitting robe) in public schools in 2023, and prohibited Muslim female athletes representing France from wearing the Hijab (headscarves) during the Paris 2024 Olympics. This exemplifies the profound hypocrisy of France, which purports to uphold and safeguard the rights and liberties of its citizens, yet denies those very rights and liberties when it comes to Muslims.

Fourth: Macron’s visit carries geopolitical interests inseparable from neo-colonialism. Efforts to elevate Malaysia–France relations into a strategic partnership spanning defence, technology, energy, critical minerals, and digital infrastructure cannot be separated from a modern form of colonisation. Present-day colonisation does not necessarily occur through physical conquest, but rather through the political, economic, technological, and military domination of a nation. Consequently, any strategic cooperation that empowers a foreign power inevitably paves the way toward a perilous form of neo-colonialism.

On these grounds, Hizb ut Tahrir / Malaysia unequivocally objects Macron’s visit and urges the Malaysian government to cancel it immediately. Any strategic alliance with a foreign power – particularly a state overtly hostile toward Islam and Muslims – not only opens the door to foreign interests and domination over the country, but is also clearly Haram (unlawful) in Islam. Worse still, such strategic cooperation risks rendering Malaysia dependent upon disbelievers and granting them authority and leverage over Muslims. Allah (swt) says:

[وَلَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا]

“And never will Allah grant the disbelievers a way [to triumph] over the believers.” [An-Nisa' (4): 141].

We must remember that to this day, France has never apologised for its crimes, atrocities, and insults against Islam. On the contrary, it continues to demonstrate hostility toward Islam and the Muslim Ummah. A sovereign, dignified, and principled nation does not welcome the visit of an enemy unless that enemy comes to seek forgiveness and listen to the Word of Allah (Kalamullah). Therefore, we reiterate in the strongest terms that we do not welcome Macron’s arrival on Malaysian soil in the slightest.