Bamako on Friday was beaming with the faces of thousands who took to the streets to protest the release of a video on social media which showed a man committing a blasphemous act against Islam. 

Bamako's criminal court charged on Thursday six people involved in the release of the video, in which the man made a series of offensive comments against Muslims, the Quran, and Prophet Muhammad.

#Mali | Islam vs Blasphème 04/11

De nombreux musulmans du #Mali ont répondu à l'appel du #Haut Conseil islamique à #manifester pour condamner les propos #diffamatoires contre l'#islam d'un homme qui a même #piétiné le livre saint (le Coran).

Ps : Le Mali est un pays #laïque. pic.twitter.com/ZvdIaxP5h9

— 𝕮𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖈𝖐 𝕿𝖎𝖉𝖎𝖆𝖓𝖊 𝕯𝕴𝕬𝕽𝕽𝕬 (@CheickIbtidiani) November 4, 2022

Authorities said the protests were set up by the High Islamic Council of Mali (HCM), which were attended by thousands who were seen carrying banners with slogans such as, "No to blasphemous comments" and "No more attacks on Islam and the Prophet Mohammed."

Imam Abdoulaye Fadiga told reporters that the act was unforgivable and the authors of the video ought to be arrested and tried.

❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Le message est bien passé, c’est juste une mise à garde, rien de plus.

Qu’Allah protège l’islam, et que les blasphémateurs périssent à jamais.#Islam #Mali pic.twitter.com/8c9MIV8lnz

— Ibrahim MAIGA (@maiga_ib) November 4, 2022

Some called on promoting interfaith dialogue in Mali, a Muslim-majority country that has been stricken by jihadist insurgencies for decades.

Sources reported that the six people in temporary custody refused to reveal the hiding place of the author of the video.

Leaders of various associations and the highest financial Islamic institution (HCM) have called for inflicting severe punishment on the video's author.

Read more: Promised draft constitution handed to Mali's Junta leader

Over the past ten years, Mali has been under threat from terrorists and has witnessed two military coups since 2020.

The military government that came to power in August 2020 has had sharp tensions with France, which had sent troops to its former colony under the pretext of assisting the country in repelling rebels.

The Malian people have a profound sentiment of resentment toward France due to its failure to achieve any tangible achievements in terms of the country's security, political instability, and economic issues in the last ten years.

As the vast majority of Muslims across the world are convinced that ISIS and Al-Qaeda are a western invention, that resentment is further intensified in Mali after years of failing to contain the insurgencies, prompting Mali, as well as several other African nations, to turn to Russia for prompt support.

Later, the government found evidence that France was supplying weapons to Islamist militants.

On October 19, Mali's Foreign Affairs Minister Abdoulaye Diop said, "The government of Mali reserves the right to exercise its right to self-defense… if France continues to undermine the sovereignty of our country and to undermine its territorial integrity and its national security."

Read more: Russia, Mali reaffirm strengthening security cooperation in Sahel