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A terror attack in gruesome threatens to turbocharge France’s argument on free speech and Islam

Police officers stand guard October 29, 2020, following a knife-wielding guy murdered three people in the Notre-Dame p l’Assomption Basilica at Nice, France. | Eric Gaillard/Pool/AFP through Getty Images

The killing of three people in southern France on Thursday was recognized as a terrorist assault by French officers — and it seems to be regarding the nation’s continuing controversy over the public display of animations depicting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad and also the administration’s overall approach toward Islam.

Approximately 9 am local time Thursday at Nice, a man used a knife to kill three people, two girls and a guy, in the Notre-Dame Basilica. Among those girls, that had been allegedly 70, died in the church, even as did the guy; the next girl”fled into a nearby pub but was mortally wounded,” according to the AP.

Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi told me he thinks the assault was committed by an Islamist extremist. “He cried’Allah Akbar!” Repeatedly, even when he had been hurt” by authorities, Estrosi said. (“Allahu akbar,” Arabic for”God is good,” is a frequent term used by Muslims, particularly during prayers.) “The significance of the gesture no uncertainty,” Estrosi added.

The defendant is currently in custody and has since been hospitalized.

Two other episodes happened on Thursday, the exact identical day some Muslims celebrate Mawlid, a party of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. Back in Montfavet, in southern France, a guy was shot dead after threatening authorities with all the gun that he held. In Saudi Arabia, a shield beyond France’s consulate in Jeddah was assaulted by a knife. The protector is currently hospitalized and the defendant is still under arrest.

In reaction to this wonderful attack along with the other episodes, the French authorities has improved the country’s security alert to the greatest degree and increased the amount of soldiers protecting colleges and spiritual websites from 3,000 to 7,000. French President Emmanuel Macron, later going to the scene from Nice, issued a stark message:”I mention this with all the emotion that was overburdened — we won’t give into terrorism”

Leaders in Many Muslim-majority Nations, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, have contested the Great attack. {“Under no circumstances are such strikes,” Egypt’s highest religious authority, Al-Azhar{} at a tweet, calling them”inconsistent with the tolerant teachings of Islam and {} religions.”|}

The Great attack occurred amid a wider debate in France over Islam along with free address

This was days later Paty had, within a course discussion on freedom of speechthat he revealed his 12- to 14-year-old pupils 2 caricatures of Muhammad which was released by the magazine Charlie Hebdo — exactly the very exact pictures that in 2015 motivated jihadists to kill 11 team members in the magazine along with others at Paris.

Police discovered that a Twitter accounts suspected of belonging to the assailant which featured an image of their severed head alongside a message:”I’ve conducted one of the puppies from hell that dared to place Muhammad down”

Macron’s authorities turned Paty to a freedom-of-expression enthusiast . In a national memorial to the {} a week, Macron explained that France”will continue the struggle for liberty” and”intensify” attempts to finish Islamist extremism from the nation.

In addition, he said France will continue to back anybody who desired to exhibit animations of Muhammad, imagining his country’s profound culture of secularism. His intention is to promote an”Islam of France,” since the president has set it for decades, which aims to integrate Muslims into French culture.

A week, French authorities raided numerous houses across France as a part of its probe to Paty’s killing. Approximately 15 people are taken into custody along with 51 Islamic associations are under analysis.

The wake of this Paty murdering has revived a controversial debate in France about the way to balance freedom of expression with regard to a religion. The wonderful attack is only going to add fuel to your flame.

Estrosi, Nice’s mayor, has been called for a more rigorous government reply. “Enough is enough,” he explained. “It’s time for France to exempt of peacetime legislation to permanently annihilate Islamo-facism out of our land.”


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