France holds trial over the beheading of a teacher who showed prophet cartoons to his class

BBC News

Samuel Paty: Trial begins over beheading of teacher who showed Prophet Muhammad cartoon

Guardian

Eight go on trial over beheading of teacher Samuel Paty in Paris

Le Monde.fr

Eight on trial over terrorist killing of French teacher who held class on Charlie Hebdo cartoons

French pupil’s father on trial for spreading lies that led to teacher’s Islamist beheading

Eight people went on trial in Paris on Monday in connection with the murder of Samuel Paty, a 47-year-old history teacher, who was beheaded outside his school on Oct. 16, 2020. The assailant, an 18-year-old Russian of Chechen origin, Abdoullakh Anzorov, was killed by police.

Al Jazeera

The attack occurred 11 days after Paty showed caricatures of Prophet Muhammad during a class on freedom of expression, where he reportedly told the students who might be offended to leave the classroom if they wished.

The defendants include Brahim Chnina — the father of the then-13-year-old student who falsely claimed that she was expelled from class for opposing Paty, though she wasn't present during the lesson.

Chnina and Abdelhakim Sefrioui, a Franco-Moroccan activist, are accused of inciting hatred through social media campaigns that identified Paty and his school.

The accused face various charges, including terrorist conspiracy and complicity in murder, with potential sentences ranging from 30 years to life imprisonment.

The New York Times

Six former students have already been convicted in juvenile court, receiving sentences ranging from suspended terms to six months imprisonment for their roles in the murder.

The Washington Post

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The defendants include Brahim Chnina — the father of the then 13-year-old student who falsely claimed that she was expelled from class for opposing Paty, though she wasn't present during the lesson.

Chnina, 52, and Abdelhakim Sefrioui, a 65-year-old Franco-Moroccan activist, are accused of inciting hatred through social media campaigns that identified Paty and his school.

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Six former students have already been convicted in juvenile court, receiving sentences ranging from suspended terms to six months imprisonment for their roles in helping reveal Paty's identity.

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Samuel Paty's murder — which horrified and petrified France — was a direct attack on a democracy's fundamental values of freedom of expression and secularism in public life. The self-styled defenders of Islam should be tried for hating France's secular values, triggering an international hate campaign, and murdering a conscientious and much-liked history teacher.

The incident exemplifies how social media can amplify misunderstandings and transform personal grievances into dangerous hate campaigns, leading to tragic consequences when religious sensitivities clash with educational practices. Additionally, while Paty shouldn't have murdered, he shouldn't have used cartoons mocking Muslim religious figures in the name of teaching freedom of expression, either.

Nice knife attacks, Samuel Paty killing: France should be combatting terrorism, not criminalizing Muslims - The Washington Post

There's a 50% chance that at least 21% of the global population will identify as "religiously unaffiliated" in 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Metaculus

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Percent of World Athiest/Agnostic in 2050

BERTRAND GUAY/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

France: Trial Begins in Beheading of Teacher Over Prophet Cartoons

France

Terrorism

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Islam

Samuel Paty's murder  — which horrified France — was a direct attack on a democracy's fundamental values of freedom of expression and secularism in public life. The self-styled defenders of Islam must be held accountable for hating France's secular values, triggering an international hate campaign, and murdering a conscientious and much-liked history teacher.

This incident exemplifies how social media can amplify misunderstandings and transform personal grievances into dangerous hate campaigns, leading to tragic consequences. While this is a much-needed trial, prosecutors must maintain a careful balance between holding the offenders accountable without reviving the anti-Muslim rhetoric that was normalized following Paty's atrocious killing.

France: Trial Begins in Beheading of Teacher Over Prophet Cartoons

France: Trial Begins in Beheading of Teacher Over Prophet Cartoons

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France: Trial Begins in Beheading of Teacher Over Prophet Cartoons

France: Trial Begins in Beheading of Teacher Over Prophet Cartoons

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Metaculus Prediction

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