"In France, do we have the right to criticize, to caricature religions?"
In room 204 of the Saint-Exupéry college (Paris 14th arrondissement), a few hands are raised.
Among them, that of Kevin *:
“It's not good, it could hurt people of this religion.
We should not criticize any religion, it is a bit logical. "
Me Assia Bennezzar retorts:
"It is totally against our system"
.
Conclusion of the fourth grader:
"So this system sucks
.
"
Read alsoSamuel Paty: "One year later ..."
All the patience and the pedagogy of the lawyer at the Paris bar will not succeed in convincing Kevin, who will slip all the same that the assassin of Samuel Paty is a
"con"
.
But to his comrades, the message seems to have passed.
"We have the right to criticize religion, but not to discriminate against someone for their religion"
, summarizes Sophia *, congratulated by Me Bennezzar.
Read also Only 8% of French people think that secularism has progressed in school since the assassination of Samuel Paty
The lawyer, member of the InitiaDROIT association, was approached, along with one of her colleagues, by the Saint-Exupéry college as part of the tribute paid to Samuel Paty, one year after the assassination of the history professor -geography by a young radicalized Chechen.
“This second session was more difficult than the first, but the students were interesting and curious.
Never aggressively, ”she
emphasizes before leaving the establishment.
"Samuel Paty was just doing his job"
"This year, the students express themselves much more easily on the subject than last year, when the shock prevailed"
, estimates the principal of the college, Colette Chiche.
“It took them all this time to take a step back, to also fully understand what had happened.
This week, I received several calls from parents telling me that their children were having nightmares.
The word “beheading”, in particular, does not get through. ”
To read also "Samuel Paty lived an infernal gear, a real nightmare"
“I'm not too much of the news so last year it was friends who told me what had happened. For me, it was a bit hazy. I was shocked but it seemed far away
, confirms Oscar, a third year student.
I didn't think it could happen in college… I don't really understand, Samuel Paty was just doing his job. ”
"
G
has put me to tears"
In Saint-Exupéry, the tribute to the murdered teacher began several days ago.
From the start of the week, teachers and staff have multiplied interventions and activities on the theme of freedom of expression.
This is evidenced by the courtyard wall, on which are displayed drawings and texts paying homage to Samuel Paty and celebrating
“freedom”
.
“It brings tears to my eyes to see that,”
slips an English teacher, very moved.
Read alsoA year after the assassination of Samuel Paty, teachers still forced into self-censorship
This Friday morning, at 9:30 am, the twelve classes of the establishment respected a minute of silence, as the Ministry of National Education had recommended.
Each teacher was then free to organize a tribute time using the tools sent by the principal.
Two fourth year classes and two third year classes also benefited from the intervention of InitiaDROIT.
To read also In Conflans, a year after the assassination of Samuel Paty, the concern remains keen
The opportunity, for the lawyers concerned, to teach a certain number of concepts to the students, to remind them of some major republican principles and to exchange with them very freely.
But also and above all to repeat to them again and again that
"the right to criticize religions is fundamental and even necessary",
and that
"Samuel Paty was a man who embodied the desire to transmit to you this taste for freedom"
.
* First names have been changed
