On Friday, Muslim people’s holy day, an individual decapitated a history and geography teacher in the street of the Yvelines. He filmed his crime and proudly posted it on his Twitter account, claiming it as an act of revenge for a lesson in which the teacher had shown caricatures of the Prophet to his students.
The blaspheme, although it displeases some for different reasons, is a right and a legally sanctioned action in France. The teacher has a right to teach freedom of expression to his students by showing caricatures of the Prophet. It is a right protected by the French constitution. He thus exercised his most fundamental right. All persons living in this country, as citizens or temporary residents, must respect its rights and laws.
We, the Uyghurs, coming as we do from a country which is currently under colonial and dictatorial rule where our human and citizen rights are trampled on, are particularly attached to the citizen rights guaranteed in this country. The Uyghurs, a people who value living a happy life, filled with colours, art, hospitality and tolerance, are opposed to all forms of obscurantism which spread hatred in society.
We, the Uyghurs, victims as we are of a genocide perpetrated by China with the false pretext of preventing radicalism, as well as this type of heinous, foul, odious crime, which can only heighten islamophobia, in this country and in the rest of the world, and can have disastrous repercussions. Especially since Islam, like all religions, does not approve of such vile crimes.
Criminal terrorists who commit such barbarous acts in the name of a religion should not be associated with that religion, because this is precisely what they want and we should not play into their hands. At the same time, no Muslim should associate these terrorists with Islam, the religion which gave the clear and precious teachings contained in the following two verses:
“Whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity…” (Quran, V, 32).
“Do not take a human life—made sacred by Allah…” (Quran, VI, 151).