Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday denied promoting violence by saying that Muslims have a right to “kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past” and criticised Facebook and Twitter for taking down his posts.

Mahathir, 95, a respected leader in the Muslim world, posted the comments on his blog, Twitter, and Facebook on Thursday, saying he believed in freedom of expression but that it should not be used to insult others.

“Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past. But by and large the Muslims have not applied the ‘eye for an eye’ law. Muslims don’t. The French shouldn't,” Mahathir said in his posts.

“Since you have blamed all Muslims and the Muslims' religion for what was done by one angry person, the Muslims have a right to punish the French,” he said, adding he did not approve of the killing of the French teacher.