In the wake of the brutal beheading of Samuel Paty, French President Emmanuel Macron has promised a further crackdown on extremism.
History teacher Samuel Paty was killed days after he showed caricatures of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, which had been published in the satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo.
As a response, Macron announced on Tuesday that the “Cheikh Yassine Collective” is to be dissolved due to its “direct” implication in the terror attack against teacher Samuel Paty.
The government also ordered a mosque in the northeast Paris suburb of Pantin to close for six months.
Some critics say the government’s measures to handle the situation are disproportionate and dangerous.
“What is the main objective of a terrorist organisation? It’s to make us lose our values,” lawyer Nabil Boudi told Euronews. “What values? The rule of law, judicial institutions, separation of power, freedom of expression, the presumption of innocence… all these values are under threat of being violated now. So the government is falling into the trap it was presented with.”
On the other hand, Imam Hassen Chalghoumi says Muslims are the first victims of radical Islam and calls on the French government to act. “Clean up Islamist vermin, the poison of Islam. Islamism threatens us too. I’m also threatened. I said and I repeat, to our president and to all European leaders, act now! Protect our children.”
To learn more, watch Anelise Borges’ report in the video player above.
