Islam and tensions with the freedom of expression in France

Over the last few decades, France has experienced a string of terrorist attacks. Examples include: in 2011, the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris were firebombed, but no one was injured; in 2012, an al-Qaeda-linked gunman killed three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi, and three paratroopers; in 2015, firearm attacks on Charlie Hebdo offices and a kosher grocery store killed 17 people; also in 2015, terrorists attacked the Bataclan concert hall, a sports stadium, and other locations in Paris, killing 130 people; in 2016, a man drove through people on Bastille Day, killing 86; also in 2016, a priest was murdered; In 2017, a man shouting “Allahu akbar” attacked French soldiers with a machete in Paris, and a different man attacked police and soldiers at a Paris airport saying he wanted to kill and die for Allah, separately, a police officer was shot and killed, and in yet another incident, a man with a hammer attacked police officers after declaring his allegiance to the Islamic State; In 2018, a man opened fire on police and took hostages; and in 2020, two people were stabbed outside Charlie Hebdo headquarters. Some of these acts were committed by homegrown Islamist terrorists, others, by immigrants. Additionally, many French citizens went to Syria to join ISIS.

On October second, 2020, France’s leader President Macron gave a speech that enraged many Muslims throughout the world. Then, on October 16th, the teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded. In a lesson about freedom of expression, he showed his students the Charlie…