[ad_1]
On Friday, 47-year-old French high school teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded and killed in a Paris suburb after showing Muhammad cartoons during a school lesson. The designated perpetrator, an 18-year-old man of Chechen origin, was shot and killed by the police.
The French authorities have described the incident as “Islamist terror” and are now taking a firm stand against Islamist groups.
“Islamists must not be allowed to sleep well in our country,” President Emmanuel Macron told ministers during an emergency meeting on Sunday, according to The Guardian.
Considering mandatory dissolution
On Monday, French police raided the homes of several Islamist militants. Nearly 80 cases related to online hate speech are being investigated, while the authorities are considering forcibly dissolving 50 Muslim organizations in the wake of the murder.
This is confirmed by the French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin. He is also said to have warned French Islamists that “the enemies of the republic cannot wait for a moment of respite” and that more police operations will be carried out.
Samuel Paty (47) was beheaded
French authorities are also preparing to deport more than 200 immigrants suspected of having extreme religious beliefs, Reuters writes, citing politicians.
Four students arrested
Paty showed cartoons of Muhammad in connection with teaching freedom of expression. Many Muslims believe that it is blasphemous to show pictures of the Prophet, so several parents reacted strongly to Paty’s teaching plan.
The father of one of the students denounced Paty before the murder and posted a video on social media claiming that Islam and the Prophet had been offended by him.
– Both the father of a school student and a known Islamist militant called for murder. They reportedly issued a fatwa against the teacher, Darmanin told Europe 1 radio channel.
A total of 15 people have been arrested after the murder and are suspected of helping the man who killed the history teacher. Four of them are students, sources informed the AFP news agency.
– They must be together
The execution has sparked strong reactions in France.
– One of our compatriots was killed today because he taught about freedom of expression, the freedom to believe or not believe. We must unite as citizens, Macron said clearly marked Friday night.
On Sunday, thousands of French people gathered in the streets to honor the beheaded teacher. Macron has announced that a national memorial service will be held on Wednesday.
