French Secondary School Teacher "Shock Over Colleague's Beheading... Will Continue Teaching Freedom of Expression"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] French teachers recently expressed their determination to continue teaching freedom of expression despite the beheading incident of a middle school teacher that occurred in the suburbs of Paris.

According to the British daily The Guardian, the French Secondary Teachers' Union stated on the 17th (local time), before meeting Prime Minister Jean Castex and Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer, "Many teachers are grieving, but we will not be intimidated."

Jean-R?my Girard, chairman of the Secondary Teachers' Union, said, "In the 21st century, it is horrific that a teacher was beheaded in broad daylight simply for teaching," adding, "Our teachers will continue to teach freedom of expression."

He also stated, "We will not avoid difficult topics but will encourage students' critical thinking and strive to convey that everyone has the right to oppose."

The beheading incident occurred around 5 p.m. the previous day near the Conflans-Sainte-Honorine school in Yvelines, about 30 km northwest of Paris.

The murdered middle school history and geography teacher, Samuel Paty (47), had shown cartoons from the weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo satirizing the Islamic prophet Muhammad during a class on freedom of expression on the 5th.

However, afterward, a parent filed a complaint against Paty, and Paty responded with a defamation lawsuit.

The suspect in the beheading incident is known to be an 18-year-old youth of Chechen origin born in Moscow.

President Emmanuel Macron called Paty's death "a typical attack by an Islamic terrorist" the previous day and urged all of France to unite against terrorism.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.