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Murder of Samuel Paty

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Murder of Samuel Paty
Part of Islamic terrorism in Europe
LocationConflans-Sainte-Honorine, Yvelines, France
Date16 October 2020 (2020-10-16)
Attack type
Decapitation
Weapons12 inches (30 cm) knife
Deaths2 (including the perpetrator)
VictimSamuel Paty
PerpetratorAbdoullakh Anzorov
MotiveIslamic extremism, jihadism

The murder of Samuel Paty, a French middle-school teacher, took place on 16 October 2020 in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a suburb of Paris, France. Paty was killed and beheaded by a Russian Chechen national.

The perpetrator, Abdoullakh Abouyedovich Anzorov, an 18-year-old Russian refugee of Chechen origin, killed and beheaded Paty with a 12-inch (30-cm) knife. Anzorov was shot and killed by police minutes later. His motive for the murder was that Paty had, in a class on freedom of expression, shown his students a Charlie Hebdo cartoon depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. This was despite Paty allowing Muslim students to leave the class before the lesson.[1][2][3]

The murder was one of several Islamist attacks in France in recent years, and it created debate in French society and politics.

Background

Samuel Paty was a French middle-school teacher at Collège Bois-d'Aulne in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France, a suburb 30 km (20 miles) north-west of central Paris.[4] Paty had taught a moral and civic education course in early October 2020 on freedom of expression, as allowed under the French national curriculum. During his class he had shown some of his teenage students a caricature of Muhammad from the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo during a class discussion about freedom of speech.[1][2][3] Before showing the caricature, Paty invited Muslim students to leave the classroom if they wished.[3] According to a student, he had previously shown these cartoons, as part of the discussion, every year since the Charlie Hebdo shooting in 2015.[5]

The class led to controversy. Accounts differed on precisely what was presented in the classroom.[6] For many Muslims, any depiction of the prophet Muhammad is blasphemous.[1] A Muslim father of a teenage student claimed on YouTube and Facebook that Paty had displayed an image of Muhammad nude; the father named Paty, and gave the school's address.[7][8] He encouraged other parents to join him in action against the teacher, whom he described as a thug.[3][9]

The father also filed a complaint with the school, and encouraged people to protest at the school.[10] The school held a meeting between the headteacher, the teacher, and an official from the education authority.[3]

After the father in addition filed a legal complaint about Paty's lesson, the teacher went to the local police station with the head of the school.[3] He told investigators he could not understand the complaint–because the daughter of the man who had lodged the complaint was in fact not in class on the day Paty showed the cartoon.[3]

Murder and beheading

A week and a half after Paty's freedom-of-speech class, on 16 October 2020, Anzorov waited outside Paty's school's gates, and asked a number of students to point out the teacher; he then followed Paty as he left the school.[11][12] Using a 12-inch (30-cm) knife, Anzorov killed Paty and beheaded him in a street near College du Bois d'Aulne in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, where Paty taught, at approximately 5 pm.[12][3][13] In addition to decapitating Paty, Anzorov inflicted a number of wounds to his head, abdomen, and upper limbs.[3][14]

Immediate aftermath

Minutes after the murder, the pseudonym @Tchetchene_270, identified by anti-terrorism prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard as belonging to Abdullakh Anzorov, posted on Twitter an image of Paty's severed head. Along with the photo was posted the message: "In the name of Allah, the most merciful, the most merciful, (...) to Macron, the leader of the infidels, I executed one of your hellhounds who dared to belittle Muhammad, calm his fellow human beings before they inflict harsh punishment on you."[3][6][15]

Minutes later, the perpetrator, Abdullakh Anzorov, was confronted by police about 600 metres (660 yards) from the scene in Éragny, near Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, and the police tried to arrest him.[15][16][13] Anzorov shot at the police with an air rifle and threatened to stab them with a knife; after which the police shot him nine times, killing him.[3][5] On Anzorov's phone they then found a text claiming responsibility, and a photograph of the body of Paty.[16][15]

Eleven people were later taken into custody for investigation.[17][4][18] They included Anzorov's grandparents, parents, and 17-year-old brother.[18] [4] At least one of the people arrested was an Islamist militant known to French anti-terrorism police.[4][8]

The attack was the second domestic terrorist beheading in France, and Europe, following the 2015 Saint-Quentin-Fallavier attack in which a man decapitated his employer.[citation needed]

Victim

The victim, Samuel Paty, was a 47-year-old teacher of history, geography, and civics who had taught at Collège Bois-d'Aulne for five years.[16] He lived ten minutes away from the middle school, in the small town of Éragny, Val-d'Oise.[19] He was married, and the father of a five-year-old son.[19][20][21]

A farewell ceremony is scheduled to be held on 21 October in consultation with Paty's family.[22]

Perpetrator

The perpetrator, Abdoullakh Abouyedovich Anzorov, was an 18-year-old Russian national of Chechen origin, born in Moscow, Russia.[23][24] Chechnya is a Muslim-majority republic and federal subject located in the North Caucasus.[25]

Anzorov had come to France with refugee status 12 years earlier as a six-year-old boy.[4][26] He lived in the Madeleine district of the Normandy town of Évreux, about 100 km (62 miles) from the murder scene, and had no apparent connection with the teacher or the school.[27][28]

The Anzorov family came from the village of Shalazhi in Chechnya. Abdoullakh's father, Abuezid, moved first to Moscow, and then to Paris. In March 2020, the family had received refugee status and 10-year residency cards in France.[16][3] Abdoullakh was not noticed by security agencies, though he had previously been in courts on minor misdemeanour charges.[29][10]

Four members of his family were arrested by French police in connection with the attack, of ten people in total: grandfather Shamsudin Anzorov, both of Abdoullakh's parents, and one of his brothers.[30][31] In the aftermath of the attack, district police officers visited distant relatives of the Anzorovs in Shalazhi, where the family was rumoured to have hosted militants in the mid-2000s, this was not confirmed. [32]

Reactions

French reactions

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the school where Paty had worked, and said that the incident was "a typical Islamist terrorist attack".[33][34][2] He also said: "our compatriot was killed for teaching children freedom of speech".[35]

French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer called the killing an "attack on the French nation as a whole".[36] Jean-Remi Girard, president of the secondary school teaching union, said teachers were “devastated” but would not be cowed.[37]

France’s anti-terrorist prosecutor said the teacher had been “assassinated for teaching,” and the attack was an assault on the principle of freedom of expression.[3]

Charlie Hebdo in a statement, expressed a "sense of horror and revolt" and gave their support for the family and friends of Paty.[38] Many Muslims and religious leaders in France condemned the act.[39]

French police announced that there were more than 80 messages on social media from French people supporting the attacker.[40]

Foreign reactions

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations high representative Miguel Moratinos condemned the beheading.[41] The Egyptian Foreign Ministry extended its condolences to the family of Paty and expressed condemnation of the murder.[42] Head of the Muslim World League called the incident "acts of violence and terrorism".[43] The Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry expressed its solidarity with the French people.[43]

Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic, condemned the attack stating "We condemn this act of terror and offer condolences to the family of the victim", and also cautioned against offending or insulting Muslims.[44]

Rallies and public protests

Gathering in homage to Samuel Paty, at Place de la République in Paris.
Tribute to Paty, in front of the town hall in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis
Gathering at the Place de la République, in Belfort, paying tribute to Paty

The hashtags #Je Suis Prof and #Je Suis Enseignant, both meaning "I am a teacher", were launched in support of the victim and in support of freedom of expression.[45] This was reminiscent of the campaign and hashtag #JeSuisCharlie launched after Charlie Hebdo journalists were murdered for publishing the Muhammad cartoons.[46]

Rallies in protest against the murder, and criticizing the government’s ineffective response to radical Islam, took place in Place de la République in Paris, and in other cities across France.[47][48] The demonstrators held various placards like "Je suis Samuel" and "Schools in mourning" written in them.[49] The demonstrators also chanted “Freedom of expression, freedom to teach” or sang La Marseillaise.[49]

Leading politicians, academics and other joined the demonstrations across France.[50] In Lyon around 12,000 joined the demonstrations, in Toulouse approximately 5,000 turned out, and hundreds more assembled in Nice.[50]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Anthony Paone (16 October 2020). "For a teacher in France, a civics class was followed by a gruesome death". Reuters. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Elaine Ganley (17 October 2020). "French leader decries terrorist beheading of teacher". AP News. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Kim Willsher (17 October 2020). "Teacher decapitated in Paris named as Samuel Paty, 47". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e "France teacher attack: Suspect 'asked pupils to point Samuel Paty out'". 17 October 2020 – via www.bbc.com.
  5. ^ a b "Thousands rally in France in defiance and solidarity after teacher's beheading". France 24. 18 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Attentat de Conflans : hommage national à l'enseignant assassiné et point sur l'enquête, au lendemain du drame". Le Monde (in French). 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Enthauptung eines Lehrers: Eine Hinrichtung mit Ansage". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b France-Presse, Agence (18 October 2020). "French encouraged to take part in 'national cohesion' rallies following killing of teacher Samuel Paty" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  9. ^ Causeur.fr; Oukili, Hala (17 October 2020). "Samuel Paty, récit de la chasse à l'homme d'un hussard noir". Causeur (in French). Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  10. ^ a b "France teacher attack: Suspect 'asked pupils to point Samuel Paty out'". BBC. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "Terror in the Republic: the beheading of Samuel Paty". Spectator USA. 17 October 2020.
  12. ^ a b "France teacher attack: Suspect 'asked pupils to point Samuel Paty out'". BBC News. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Conflans attack: A teacher at 'the very heart' of his profession". uk.news.yahoo.com.
  14. ^ Guenfoud, Ibtissem (16 October 2020). "Suspect dead, 9 in custody following beheading of teacher in Paris suburb". ABC7 San Francisco.
  15. ^ a b c Chiarello, Sybille de La Hamaide, Thierry (17 October 2020). "Teenager asked pupils to identify French teacher before beheading him" – via www.reuters.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ a b c d "France terror attack: Teacher decapitated in Paris suburb named as Samuel Paty". Sky News.
  17. ^ "France teacher attack: Rallies held to support beheaded Samuel Paty". 18 October 2020 – via www.bbc.com.
  18. ^ a b "Suspect in teacher's beheading in France was Chechen teen". AP NEWS. 17 October 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Conflans attack: who was Samuel Paty, the martyr professor". AlKhaleej Today. 18 October 2020.
  20. ^ "Teacher decapitated in Paris for showing cartoon of a nude Prophet Mohammad is pictured". Mirror. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  21. ^ Crisp, James; Pujol-Mazzini, Anna (17 October 2020). "Social media bosses summoned by French government after terrorist beheads teacher" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  22. ^ "France to bid farewell to murdered history teacher on Wednesday". Republic World. Retrieved 18 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ Match, Paris. "Prof d'histoire décapité: l'assaillant, Abdoullakh Anzorov, était un Russe tchétchène de 18 ans". parismatch.com.
  24. ^ "the 18-year-old killer, who was shot, was a refugee". Al Khaleej Today.
  25. ^ "Suspect in French teacher's beheading was Chechen teen, police say". Associated Press. 17 October 2020.
  26. ^ "France beheading suspect had no links with Russia". ewn.co.za.
  27. ^ "French teacher's attacker 'posted photo of severed head on Twitter'". South China Morning Post. 18 October 2020.
  28. ^ "France teacher attack: Suspect 'asked pupils to point Samuel Paty out'". BBC News. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  29. ^ WELT (17 October 2020). "Paris: Täter lebte als Flüchtling in Frankreich". DIE WELT. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  30. ^ "The 18-year-old killer, who was shot, was a refugee | En24 World". Retrieved 18 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ "French police arrest nine after teacher beheaded in street". National Post. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020. Four relatives of the attacker, including a minor, were detained
  32. ^ "Опубликованы фото чеченца Абдулака Анзорова, убившего учителя под Парижем" [Photos published of Chechen Abdullakh Anzorov, who killed a teacher near Paris] (in Russian). 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  33. ^ "France: Teacher beheaded in Paris; Macron calls it 'Islamist terrorist attack'". The Indian Express. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  34. ^ Willsher, Kim (17 October 2020). "Macron speaks of 'existential' fight against terrorism after teacher killed in France". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  35. ^ "'Our compatriot was killed for teaching children freedom of speech': French president Macron over beheading of teacher". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  36. ^ "Police detain nine people over beheading of French teacher in Paris suburb". France 24. 17 October 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  37. ^ Willsher, Kim (18 October 2020). "French teachers vow to 'teach difficult subjects' after colleague's murder". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  38. ^ "Decapitated professor – The satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo expresses its feeling..." AlKhaleej Today (in Arabic). 17 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  39. ^ "Paris Beheading: Muslims in France condemn teacher's killing". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  40. ^ "Professeur décapité : que sait-on des onze personnes en garde à vue ?". francetvinfo.fr (in French). 18 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  41. ^ IANS (18 October 2020). "UNAOC chief Moratinos condemns beheading of teacher in suburbs of Paris". Business Standard India. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  42. ^ "Egypt expresses 'utmost condemnation' of beheading of French teacher in Paris suburb - Politics - Egypt". Ahram Online. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  43. ^ a b "Saudi Arabia leads Arab and Muslim world in condemning terrorist murder of French teacher". Arab News. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  44. ^ "Chechen leader denounces terrorist attack on teacher outside Paris". TASS. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  45. ^ ""Je suis prof": après l'horreur, une vague d'hommages au professeur assassiné dans les Yvelines". Orange Actualités (in French). 17 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  46. ^ "France terror attack: Beheading of teacher heightens debate about Islamist terrorism and freedom of speech". Sky News. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  47. ^ France-Presse Agence (18 October 2020). "French encouraged to take part in 'national cohesion' rallies following killing of teacher Samuel Paty". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 October 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  48. ^ "France terror attack: Thousands gather in Paris to honour murdered teacher". Sky News.
  49. ^ a b Henley, Jon (18 October 2020). "Thousands rally across France in tribute to murdered schoolteacher". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  50. ^ a b "'We are not afraid': France rallies after teacher beheaded". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 19 October 2020.

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