Macron slams 'distortions' in Mohammed cartoon row

President Emmanuel Macron lashed out at "distortions" from political leaders over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, saying too often people were led to believe that they were a creation of the French state, in an interview broadcast Saturday,

Speaking to Al-Jazeera, he slammed "a confusion that has been fed by many media -- and sometimes political and religious leaders -- which is to say that these caricatures are in a way the project or the creation of the French government or the president".

He also denounced calls for a boycott of French goods as "unworthy" and "unacceptable", saying the campaign was created by some private groups "who relied on lies... sometimes from other leaders" about the caricatures published in the Charlie Hebdo weekly.