France: Trial Begins in Beheading of Teacher Over Prophet Cartoons
The Facts
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.
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 Spin
Narrative A
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.
Narrative B
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.
