CY Leung says elements of the profession are polluting young minds and pushing them into extreme politics
Lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen counters, saying radicalism is being fuelled by government’s contempt for the public, police conduct
Former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying has defended his naming on Facebook of 18 teachers charged with protest-related offences. Photo: Nora Tam
A war of words erupted on Sunday between former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying and a lawmaker representing teachers after the ex-leader accused elements of the profession of radicalising the city’s youth.
Leung also defended his controversial naming and shaming on Facebook of 18 teachers charged over last year’s anti-government protests, a move critics likened to Cultural Revolution-era persecution.
Lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen, of the Professional Teachers’ Union, which has a 100,000-strong membership, accused Leung of hypocrisy for ignoring the government’s role in driving young people to radicalism.
“We have to admit that there must be something wrong with Hong Kong’s education,” said Leung, who is now vice-chairman of Beijing’s advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
“Where do the arrested young people learn this from? Who are their ‘close contacts’? I believe a fair portion of them are teachers and they are the black sheep.”
The privacy commissioner said it had received 17 complaints about Leung’s disclosure on his Facebook page of the personal details of teachers charged in relation to the protests.
But the former leader denied he had breached privacy laws, insisting he simply collated the information from existing media reports.
Citing a British example, Leung said the country’s Teaching Regulation Agency routinely published the names of teachers under investigation. He argued parents had the right to know the identity of these teachers so they could protect their children.
Greetings citizens of the world. This is a message from anonymous, regarding the fight against child trafficking worldwide.
In the past few years, the issue of child trafficking has finally started to receive the attention that it deserves, but unfortunately, this problem has also been politicized in a way that makes this issue seem more abstract and far away than it actually is. In many online circles, this discussion has devolved into a guessing game about which celebrity might be an abuser behind closed doors, with speculation being shared as if it is fact.
Indeed, the past few years have shown us that Hollywood is a cesspool of predatory behavior and that the rich and famous can often get away with horrific abuses because they are seemingly above the law. The case of Jeffrey Epstein shows us that there are many world leaders, even princes, who view pedophilia as some sort of hobby. These stories have shocked the collective conscience in a way, and sparked outrage against what many see as an “elite cabal” of abusive pedophiles, but it isn’t that simple. Epstein’s criminal network was certainly an example of an elite pedophile cabal, but his operation was only one small piece of the puzzle, a microcosm of a cultural problem that our species has been ignoring for generations.
Let’s not forget that your child is far more likely to be abused by someone they know, such as a family member or friend, or maybe even a pastor, teacher, or other authority figure. Sadly, the people that we trust with our children, are the most likely to commit abuse, and these types of situations are what represent the overwhelming majority of cases.
The rampant abuse that takes place in the Catholic Church has been public knowledge for a long time, but now as the perpetrators are finally being held accountable in courts outside of the church, we are beginning to learn how deep their criminal activity went. Earlier this year, a former high-ranking Catholic Cardinal was exposed as a pedophile and child trafficker, who pimped out unwilling children to other clergymen from his New Jersey beach house. Former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, is said to have managed a “sex cabal” in the 1980s, in which alter boys were groomed to be abused by pedophile priests. He is not alone either, this type of behavior is widespread in any environment where people have enough power to receive protection from the legal system and access to young and vulnerable children.
There are many trusted political institutions that facilitate child trafficking as well, like foster homes and immigration agencies. In 2018, it was revealed that nearly 1,500 immigrant children were lost in government arranged foster homes. Some of the children are still unaccounted for, but those that were found were kept in horrible conditions. In many of these cases, children were sent to homes with pedophiles where they were sexually assaulted, and in other cases, they were held as slaves. Dozens of children from this group, some as young as 14, were sold as slaves to Trillium Farms egg factories in Ohio, where they were subjected to constant abuse and forced to work with no pay.
Child charities should also not be ignored in the fight against child trafficking, as many of these organizations are highly suspect, and have already been exposed for their corruption. Last year, Peter John Dalglish, former United Nations adviser and founder of the Street Kids International charity, was sentenced to 9 years in prison for abusing children. Two young children, ages 12 and 14, were “rescued” from the home in Nepal where he was staying at the time of his arrest. The United Nations, in general, has a very bad track record with keeping children safe in their overseas missions, and at times it seems that their mission is actually to abuse and terrorize these children.
A report from the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), indicated that “peacekeepers” working in Haiti were guilty of raping Haitian women at an alarming rate. The report also indicated that a large number of the victims were underage.
According to the report, there were 231 people in Haiti who claimed they were sexually violated by UN peacekeepers, and were forced to perform sexual acts in exchange for food and supplies that were intended as relief packages. Last year, the New York Times reported that UN forces have “fathered” hundreds of children in Haiti, and many of the mothers were extremely young and left to fend for themselves.
Former United Nations official Andrew MacLeod has estimated that the organization has employed at least 3,300 pedophiles that they know of, and suggested that at least 60,000 cases of sexual assault have been perpetrated by staff members of the United Nations over the past decade.
“There are tens of thousands of aid workers around the world with pedophile tendencies, but if you wear a Unicef T-shirt nobody will ask what you’re up to,” he said.
Some of the world’s largest multinational corporations such as DynCorp and Halliburton were exposed as major players in the global human trafficking market. These companies did not work alone, but cooperated with each other through various subsidiaries and had the luxury of government protection.
When suspicion was brought upon these companies it was swept under the rug by government officials. Even high-ranking members of the establishment such as Donald Rumsfeld were implicit in covering up this scandal. On March 11th, 2005, he was questioned by Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and he admitted on the record that the allegations did have credibility, but he pushed the blame off onto a few “rogue” employees.
If the goal is to end child trafficking, then we need to look deeper than a few celebrities or politicians that we have disagreements with. We need to look at many of the institutions that we put our faith and trust in, and even the family members, friends, and community leaders that we look up to. Anonymous is searching everywhere for these predators, whether they are Hollywood, the halls of Congress, or your neighborhood.
Nine other students at St. Mary Catholic School in Pickering have come forward to say their yearbook profiles were also tampered with.
Durham Catholic District School Board is launching a formal investigation after yearbooks at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Pickering included racist content next to a graduation picture of a Black student.Photo by MAYMA RAPHAEL /FACEBOOK
This builds on Durham Regional Police’s investigation of a racist comment inserted next to student Joshua Telemaque’s graduation photo in the school’s 2019-2020 edition yearbook.In a public Facebook posting, Telemaque’s aunt, Mayma Raphael, said the original message next to his picture — “RIP Grandma. Thank you for guiding me through my four years of high school” — had been replaced with “Rip Harambe Dooga booga,” a reference to Harambe, a gorilla that was shot dead in an Ohio zoo in 2016.
Police said in a statement released Friday that investigators interviewed faculty and students at the school this week to determine who was responsible for the racist yearbook entry.
“Nine other students who brought their yearbooks back said their submitted quotations were also changed, without their knowledge,” police said.
“Natkhat makes you confront the reality that most women in this country live on a day to day basis and how we are bringing up children and how if we want to see a change, we have to bring up our children differently.” – Vidya Balan
Natkhatis a 2020 Indian short film directed by Shaan Vyas, and written by Vyas and Annukampa Harsh. It is co-produced by and stars Vidya Balan as a doting mother who tries to educate her son Sonu on gender bias and misogyny through her bedtime stories.
It is no secret that India’s gender inequality problems have led to millions of “unwanted girls.” In an interesting twist of casting, the Natkhat producers selected a female child actor, Sanika Patel, for the main role of Sonu. The Global Search for Education invited Producer and Actor Vidya Balan, Writer and Director Shaan Vyas, Writer Annukampa Harsh, Associate Producer Sanaya Irani Zohrabi, and Producer Ronnie Screwvala to talk about their acclaimed film.
“We realized that gender inequality is not conscious. Most times, it’s unconscious.” – Shaan Vyas
What inspired you to create this movie and what’s been the reaction from audiences so far?
Vidya Balan: When this film came to my attention, it called out to me because it’s so powerful, it’s the reality of the women in our country, the way women are treated – so I just felt that if in a 30-minute short film you are able to tell this story, I thought it was an outstanding idea. The reactions have been fabulous. Natkhat makes you confront the reality that most women in this country live on a day to day basis, how we are bringing up children, and how if we want to see a change, we have to bring up our children differently.
Shaan Vyas: In 2018, there was a spate of cases in India about female oppression. One such case was a horrid gang rape which triggered a lot of anger in me and to channelize that, I wrote a story about parenting being a possible starting point for a solution. But my first draft of the screenplay was very dry because I was writing about masculinity from the point of view of a man and through that, about female oppression. Annukampa Harsh came on board at that point to infuse the story with female energy. Thus Natkhat took shape. We always set out to write a film knowing that the Indian masses are really smart viewers and one can’t underestimate them. And they not just related to it, but the film also made them check their own entitlement in parts.
Sanaya Irani Zohrani: Shaan pitched the screenplay to me and after my first read, I was sure this film had to be made for every man, woman, teacher, student, parent, and child. It not only addresses issues that need to be addressed today but also presents a very important solution for a better tomorrow, that being parenting. The early reactions and reviews have been overwhelming and heartening. I have received countless calls and messages from fathers and mothers across India, emotional and grateful as the film led to important living room conversations they never thought they’d have or never knew how to initiate with their children, parents, family, and friends.
India’s gender inequality problems have led to millions of “unwanted girls”. Can you elaborate on the kinds of conversations you hope this story might lead to?
Vidya Balan:Natkhat deals with toxic masculinity…patriarchy in a very intimate way. We are not talking about it as a concept, we are talking about the real experience in this woman’s life and how the child observes the men around him and begins to imitate their behavior and this is how the sense of entitlement and sense of privilege gets passed down through generations. These boys end up being men who perpetuate this gender inequality and its atrocities that women are subjected to. So I think the conversation is really around parenting, about how parenting is key.
Shaan Vyas: We realized that gender inequality is not conscious. Most times, it’s unconscious. It’s built into us evolutionarily to think that men are physically stronger than women, and as an intelligent race, it’s ironic that we took that physical inequality and made it into so much more. Growing up, a child looks at the world around him and even with the most gender-unbiased care, he will only see a male-dominated world. Our leaders are all male, our cops, army men, people in positions of power are all male. In India, on TV, our sports stars and cricketers are all males. Change doesn’t happen overnight and the starting point is to make people have conversations about this issue not just with each other, but with their own selves too.
Sanaya Irani Zohrabi: Does a story have the power to change us? Natkhat with its story within a story has proven that powerful storytelling can definitely lead to conversation and change. After all, we are our stories and our future.
Annukampa Harsh: Conversations lead to understanding and empathy, and that is the way for real change to take place. Laws and punitive systems only create fear of repercussions, not true reform. Prenatal sex-determination tests might be illegal in India but that has not eradicated female infanticide. For the birth of a girl child to be as celebratory as that of a boy, the dowry system along with other patriarchal practices needs to go, which will then not make a girl a “liability” for families. When a girl will be seen as an equal to a boy, in her abilities as well as her breadwinning capacity, we will no longer see the birth of “unwanted girls”.
“Conversations lead to understanding and empathy, and that is the way for real change to take place.” – Annukampa Harsh
What was your thought process in casting Sanika Patel in the main role? What has been the reaction to having the main boy character played by a girl?
Vidya Balan: Shaan cast Sanika and I think it’s fabulous casting. He hit gold with Sanika, she is such a bright girl and I will never forget how one night when we were shooting, she was falling asleep and she had to give me queues because it was my closeup…the child was struggling to keep her eyes open but she still gave me the queues without a single mistake. She is special.
Annukampa Harsh: I was scrolling through Instagram when I came across an uncredited post of a little girl reciting a powerful poem by Sohanlal Dwivediji. Not only was this child’s command over the Hindi language flawless, but her recitation style was also beautifully fiery and strong! I instantly began searching for this girl, and through the comments section discovered her uncle, traced her and was on a call with her within the next hour. I instinctively knew she was our Sonu, and I texted Shaan within moments of “discovering” this child – Sanika Patel.
Shaan Vyas: Sanika was mesmerizing: extremely emotive and expressive. And the cherry on the cake was that she could remember long passages of poetry with ease: a dream come true for a director. However, this was a girl. Annukampa then called me up and began persuading me to consider this girl for Sonu. She added that since I was anxious about teaching a boy the very things he’s not meant to do, this casting decision will solve that problem, while also bringing a little girl’s sensitivity during Sonu’s scenes with other girls. She mentioned that classical films frequently applied such gender-fluid casting. She had cracked it, and I was convinced: this one little decision changed the course of the film entirely.
Annukampa Harsh: The audience’s reaction to Sanika has been beautiful. For a large section of the viewers, quite a few moments in our film stand out for being highly disturbing. To learn that a girl played a pivotal role in these scenes has proved redemptive and cathartic for many. Also, being able to successfully “fool” audiences into believing that Sanika is a boy throughout the run-time of the film has been a huge achievement for Shaan and us. Training her, and all the other first-time actors, required a long process of workshopping and preparation, and all that work has finally paid off.
I understand that the crew was selected with gender equality in mind as well. What was your process? How challenging was it to achieve that balance on this film in particular?
Shaan Vyas: It actually was not very difficult because there is an abundance of talented crew available, irrespective of gender. A filmmaking process goes through a few storytellers, each of whom deserves as much credit as the director. Starting from the writer to the casting director to the DOP to the editor and eventually to the sound and music teams. Each of these departments has the opportunity to tell the written story in their own language. What we achieved was a balanced perspective of storytellers.
“Creativity and imagination will always thrive and find its way.” – Ronnie Screwvala
Films have become even more important as a resource to address global issues and present perspectives on societal challenges. In many countries, funding for the arts is being cut. How do we foster creativity and imagination without art?
Vidya Balan: There is so much scope for creative art today because all you need is a mobile phone. You can write, you can sing, you can dance, you can paint and you can put it out there – and you can bring about a change even at a time when funds are being cut in the current scenario which is understandable because healthcare is the primary concern. I feel creativity and art can change the world and it can happen even through a mobile phone today, and therefore I don’t see any barriers.
Shaan Vyas: Humanity is going through an existential crisis right now and I keep wondering what role a film has to play in a world which is scrounging for basic necessities of life. Isn’t film a luxury? I recently got the answer to this question when someone wise told me that the world needs to be thanking filmmakers to keep us sane during a global crisis. To make people laugh and feel things. To see sense in fiction amidst the craziness of reality.
Ronnie Screwvala: Creativity and imagination will always thrive and find its way. These are crucial in any and all fields and industries regardless of global issues, challenges, and funding. Even if countries and the arts face restrictions in funding, it is imagination and creativity along with innovation and technology that will continue advancing and bridging the gaps in new and disruptive ways.
Top Row: C.M. Rubin, Annukampa Harsh, Shaan Vyas
Bottom Row: Vidya Balan, Ronnie Screwvala, Sanaya Irani Zohrabi
Thank you to our 800 plus global contributors, artists, teachers, entrepreneurs, researchers, business leaders, students and thought leaders from every domain for sharing your perspectives on the future of learning with The Global Search for Education each month.
C. M. Rubin (Cathy) is the Founder of CMRubinWorld, an online publishing company focused on the future of global learning, and the co-founder of Planet Classroom. She is the author of three best-selling books and two widely read online series. Rubin received 3 Upton Sinclair Awards for “The Global Search for Education.” The series, which advocates for Youth, was launched in 2010 and brings together distinguished thought leaders from around the world to explore the key education issues faced by nations.
Mental health disorders are prevalent these days. Often, families are in a lot of pain when a beloved one suffers a mental health condition. Whether it’s depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorders, these illnesses can interfere with someone’s thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. A mental health disorder can have a serious impact on someone’s life. Luckily, there is hope! There are many different treatments you can use for mental health conditions. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor for help.
Psychotherapy for mental health disorders
Psychotherapy is also known for talk therapy. It’s a common treatment for mental health disorders, and it involves talking with a professional about your concerns. Talk therapy is often done one-on-one and in a group of people or with your family members. Group talk therapy is sometimes helpful, but not everyone can feel free to discuss their problems in front of others. Sometimes, a mental health disorder can come up with behavioral changes. This type of therapy can also be useful for those who just got through a divorce, grief, the loss of a loved one, or other challenging life situations. At Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center, you’ll have the occasion to receive the highest quality rehab program to treat your mental health disorder or substance abuse. It’s essential to treat both conditions simultaneously so that the recovery can be successful.
Medication
Prescription medicine is another well-known treatment method for mental health disorders. However, not many people know that medications can make changes to brains involved in emotions and suffering. Medicines will not cure psychiatric issues, but they can help for a short period. More specifically, they can improve your mood for a couple of months, but after a while, your body and mind are likely to become immune to this method. However, medicines might work well in parallel with other treatments. Your doctor will help you with recommendations and share any side effects.
Self-help support
Self-help is another way to treat your mental conditions. You can ask for help from your friends, well-known resources, and follow many tips to learn how to manage your condition. It’s also helpful to help with feelings of loneliness, isolation, and self-confidence.
Sport
There are so many different types of therapies for people to use for treating their mental health disorders. It can include exercise, such as yoga, running, and playing different outdoor games. Physical activity can be so beneficial for someone’s overall health. Creative therapies are also beneficial, including music, movement, painting, or writing. Stimulating your brain to enjoy the little things is the most beneficial thing you can do to diminish your mental health disorders.
Things to consider
Mental health disorders can come from many resources, including childhood. Traumas are very common in humans and can prevent them from enjoying their lives. Not being confident about yourself is the first sign of trying to seek treatment. Sometimes, people end up taking their lives because of their depressions or sadness. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! You may think that you know what’s best for you, but being aware of your mental health condition can save your life.
In this photograph shot with a slow shutter speed Romanian Jewish actress Maia Morgernstern, center, performs alongside fellow actresses of the Jewish State Theatre, wearing face masks for protection against COVID-19 infection, during rehearsals for the premiere of the “The Beautiful Days of My Youth” play, based on the diary of Romanian Jewish Holocaust survivor Ana Novac, in Bucharest, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. The latest première at the Jewish State Theater in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, explores the horrors of the Holocaust via a survivor’s memories of the Auschwitz and Plaszow concentration camps. Andreea Alexandru AP
BUCHAREST, Romania
The latest première at the Jewish State Theater in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, explores the horrors of the Holocaust via a survivor’s memories of the Auschwitz and Plaszow concentration camps.
Friday’s debut of “The Beautiful Days of My Youth” by Romanian Jewish Holocaust survivor Ana Novac follows the National Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorations on Oct. 9, the day when deportations of Romania’s Jews and Roma began in 1941.
Some 280,000 Jews and 11,000 Roma were deported and killed under Romania’s pro-Nazi regime during World War II. During the communist era, hundreds of thousands of Romanian Jews emigrated to Israel. The current Jewish population is around 6,000, down from 800,000 before the war.
The play premiered online and in front of spectators who took up less than a third of the seats because of measures meant to slow the coronavirus pandemic in the eastern European nation.
Maia Morgenstern, head of the Jewish State Theater and a Romanian Jewish actress best known for playing Mary in Mel Gibson’s controversial 2004 movie “The Passion of the Christ,” described the play’s staging to The Associated Press as an “all-female project.” The director is a woman, Liana Ceterchi.
You have woken up in the morning and suddenly you start listening to the shouting of someone that “The tv aerial cable has broken”. What can you expect any misfortune against that. The point is your cable has broken or damaged so what to do? Obviously you need to change the wire immediately. For this you need to reach the tv aerial termination point or the antenna. Try to unplug the wire safely. If you are afraid of this task you can call the professional. In case of the cable damage you can contact the tvaerialinstaller.co.uk. They are really professional tv aerial installers and they know very well how to deal with the damaged cables.
First of all you need to buy the good quality cable. If your cable is already old then it is the golden chance of replacing the cable with the new one. Remember usually the cheap installer tries to fix the existing cable and after some time it breaks again. So I would recommend you to get the new cable and then install with your set up. For finding the best solution of this problem you may call the https://tv-aerials-uk.co.uk/.
The damage of the cable means the water starts entering in the cable and could damage your TV or other electric system. I would recommend you if you noticed your cable is damaged then instantly disconnect everything with your cable and put in the small container. For this task please cover your hands with gloves and wear rubber chappal in your feet. If your connectors are damaged only then you can replace them with new ones otherwise you can fix them. For changing the cable you can either do it yourself otherwise it would be much better if you hire the professional for this task.
If you’ve got a newborn on the way expect to be changing a lot of diapers. You could change your baby on the floor or a bed. But, this means you’d be doing a lot of bending over or kneeling down, which can take a toll on your sleep-deprived body. A change table raises the diaper change to a convenient height saving your back and knees.
Baby change table is a great way to keep your diaper change essentials organized. Having the diapers, wipes, and lotions within easy reach saves you from frantically searching for something mid-diaper change. Once your child’s done with diapers a changing table can be used as shelving or storage. Just remove the changing pad and use it as a regular dresser or storage shelf.
Safety is paramount so look for safety features like a safety strap or changing pad that fastens to the table. A safety straps prevents your wiggling baby from moving around during the diaper change. Similarly, a changing pad that secures to the table prevents your baby from potentially flipping the change pad.
Like any good sturdy piece of furniture a change table can last for years, well beyond changing dirty diapers. In fact, if you’re planning on having a second child you’ll definitely want a change table that’s going to last. Look for solid wood construction for the sturdiest tables. You could also consider composite wood or medium-density fibreboard as sturdy options.
Also, a change table should have a guardrail or solid wood that goes around the entire table to prevent your baby from falling off the table. It is recommended the guardrail be at least 2 inches high on all sides. For even more safety, look for a table that comes with anti-tipping hardware. This hardware secures the change table to either the wall or the floor, preventing the table from potentially toppling over with your baby.
Lockdowns have been used to control Covid-19 worldwide. Now WHO has changed its mind.
The World Health Organisation has backflipped on its original COVID-19 stance after calling for world leaders to stop locking down their countries and economies.
Dr David Nabarro from the WHO appealed to world leaders yesterday, telling them to stop “using lockdowns as your primary control method” of the coronavirus.
He also claimed that the only thing lockdowns achieved was poverty – with no mention of the potential lives saved.
“Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never ever belittle, and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer,” he said.
“We in the World Health Organisation do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus,” Dr Nabarro told The Spectator.
“The only time we believe a lockdown is justified is to buy you time to reorganise, regroup, rebalance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted, but by and large, we’d rather not do it.”
Dr Nabarro’s main criticism of lockdowns involved the global impact, explaining how poorer economies that had been indirectly affected.
“Just look at what’s happened to the tourism industry in the Caribbean, for example, or in the Pacific because people aren’t taking their holidays,” he said.
“Look what’s happened to smallholder farmers all over the world. … Look what’s happening to poverty levels. It seems that we may well have a doubling of world poverty by next year. We may well have at least a doubling of child malnutrition.”
Melbourne’s lockdown has been hailed as one of the strictest and longest in the world. In Spain’s lockdown in March, people weren’t allowed to leave the house unless it was to walk their pet. In China, authorities welded doors shut to stop people from leaving their homes. The WHO thinks these steps were largely unnecessary.
France’s anti-terrorism police are investigating after a man was beheaded in Paris on Friday evening, allegedly by a man shouting “Allah Akbar”.
Update 1900 GMT — killer may have shouted “Allah Akbar”
Wire service Reuters reports witnesses that heard the attacker should “Allah Akbar” — commonly translated as “God is great” or “my God is the greatest” — as he struck. The report notes that police were ‘checking’ these claims.
One man was found beheaded in the north-western Paris suburb of Éragny, Val-d’Oise on Friday afternoon, after a police patrol came upon a man carrying a knife. Major French newspaper Le Figaroreports the officers ordered the man to drop his weapons and when he didn’t and acted aggressively towards them they opened fire, killing him.
Shortly afterwards, the decapitated body was discovered by officers, the paper reported. Because the suspect was wearing an explosive vest the officers could not approach the body immediately and bomb disposal officers were called onto the scene.
Various reports in French media claim the suspect was carrying, in addition to the explosive belt, a knife, gun, or both. It is not clear at what time the original killing took place, but it appears — according to reports — that enough time elapsed for the killer to upload an image of the killing to his Twitter account. While the account was immediately deleted by Twitter, screenshots of the original post have been posted elsewhere and have been reported on by French media.
One quoted the alleged killer’s Twitter comments as: “o Macron, the leader of the infidels, I executed one of your hellhounds who dared to belittle Muhammad.”
The investigation of the attack has been taken on by France’s national counter-terrorism police, who are considering a case of “assassination in connection with a terrorist enterprise”.
Actu17, a news site with links to French law enforcement and Europe-wide radio network Europe1 both report the victim in the beheading was a teacher who had shown cartoons of the Islamic prophet Mohammed during a class, and that this may have been the motivation for the killing. Paris newspaper Le Parisien goes further with the claim, noting sources who claimed the victim was a history teacher who had shown the cartoons as part of a lesson on freedom of expression.
This is not, by far, the first act of violent extremism over the existence of cartoons portraying Mohammed. Radical Islamic terrorists massacred 12 people in Paris at the offices of the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine in 2015, including a police protection officer and a building maintenance workers, over its publication of unflattering cartoons of the Islamic prophet.
As recently as last month a Pakistani migrant badly injured two people with a meat cleaver outside those same offices — long vacated by Charlie Hebdo‘s surviving staff — to disrupt the trial of various people connected to the 2015 attack, and the related siege of a kosher supermarket.
Western countries also experienced widespread disorder when Danish outlet Jyllands-Posten published depictions of Mohammed in 2005 — depictions republished by Charlie Hebdo in solidarity.
