Paris Killing and Freedom of Speech
Yet another barbaric killing in the name of Islam. The beheading of a teacher in the outskirts of Paris last Friday is nerve chilling – so inhuman, cruel and un-Islamic. If the killer had thought he was doing a great service to Islam or he was expressing his extreme love for Prophet Mohammed for showing cartoons of Prophet Mohammed to students, he was either misguided, brainwashed or totally ignorant of Islam. He probably had passion for Islam without actually understanding Islam.
We, normal Muslim world, out rightly reject, condemn and denounce this heinous killing. Whatever reason the killer had to justify his devilish deed, there is no justification to take out a human life, whatsoever. If some people thought Islamic teachings guided this young killer to kill the teacher for showing the Prophet of Islam in bad light, they are totally wrong. Let me make it very clear that Islam never preaches killing except in case of self-defense and to protect destruction of property. Even if someone kills someone, the murderer can be eliminated only after a due process of law, this is Islam. Everything else is insanity, madness.
My purpose of writing this article is not to separate and abandon the Muslim killer from Islam and claim innocence. Muslim Ummah (brotherhood) cannot simply do this, all have a collective responsibility. Islam teaches the believers to love Prophet Mohammed more than anything else, even more than one’s own parents but never directly or indirectly suggests when such a Prophet is defamed get into violence. It is human nature that when loved one is abused, he/she gets enraged but in Islam there is no scope for any violent retaliation. Quran specifically prohibits taking revenge or retaliation even when Allah is abused or defamed.
A true follower of Islam will understand that Allah or Prophet Mohammed cannot be defamed by any human deed or word. Probably the Islamic world, when teaching to love Prophet, has failed to teach his followers enough that love does not include turning violent when their loved one is abused or defamed. We need to be more vociferous in teaching that violence and crime to protect the image of Prophet is indeed hate and is a crime against humanity. To this end, I feel, we Muslims have failed to convey the right message to our kids and youths. I own up the moral responsibility. I extend an unconditional apology to the family of the killed teacher.
Now coming to freedom of speech. France is a country which provides maximum freedom of speech to its citizens, it is protected by the 1789 Declaration of Human and Civic Rights. Even though the French Constitution considers free speech as an essential part of a free democratic society, it doesn’t consider free speech as an absolute right. I do not believe in absolute freedom of speech, in fact, there cannot be absolute freedom of speech anywhere in the world. My elementary teacher had given a perfect example of why there cannot be absolute freedom of speech. I come from an area where arecanut fields are common scene, even small households will have a few arecanut plants. These plants grow tall and planted in equal distance. My teacher explained, I remember even now so vividly : “May be your own areca garden and you have full right to walk in the garden waving your both hands the way you want but remember, your hands may hit your own plants and you may get hurt”. There cannot be another better example to explain why there can’t be absolute freedom of speech in the world. Your full freedom of speech too should be bound by its own boundaries – do not try to transgress that boundary.
Even the French Constitution limits the freedom of speech to protecting public order, protecting public from defaming and insults. It is illegal to incite others to commit a crime in France. When the French law is so clear about the limitation of freedom of speech, why did the teacher took the extreme step of showing cartoons of Prophet Mohammed to the students in the class? It is reported that Muslim students of his class were asked to walk out from the class before he showed the cartoons saying it may hurt those Muslim students. When the teacher knew it will hurt the Muslim students, what was the need of showing these cartoons? Wasn’t there anything else available to illustrate freedom of speech to students? Didn’t the teacher know that these cartoons have already become a controversy in France and a sensitive issue? What was the real intention of showing these cartoons? Isn’t the teacher also responsible for his own death by inciting some? I am in no way condoning or defending the crimes of a murderer but we need to realize that there is no absolute freedom of speech.
We need to strike a balance between our freedom and others’ freedom. Enjoy freedom to the full without inciting others. Maintaining an equilibrium in the world is everybody’s responsibility. To my Muslim brothers and sisters – we are already into the month of Rabiul Awwal, the sacred month in which Prophet Mohammed was born. It is custom to recapitulate the life and teachings of Prophet Mohammed in this month. Let us have a relook into his life as to how he reacted when he was insulted and abused both physically and orally during his life time. Let us inculcate some of his beautiful life examples into our life and try to make this world a better world.
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Informing Pakistan ahead of Operation Sindoor was a crime: Rahul Gandhi on Jaishankar's 'admission'
New Delhi, May 17 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at the government for "informing" Pakistan about targeting terror infrastructure as part of Operation Sindoor, saying it was a crime and asking who had authorised it.
In a post on X, Gandhi questioned External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar for publicly admitting that the government of India (GOI) had informed Pakistan of the action and asked how many aircraft the Indian Air Force lost as a result.
"Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our air force lose as a result?" said Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha.
He also shared an undated video of Jaishankar saying India had informed Pakistan of the action against terror infrastructure on its soil.
Jaishankar can be heard saying in the video, "At the start of the operation, we had sent a message to Pakistan, saying, 'We are striking at terrorist infrastructure and we are not striking at the military.'"
"So the military has the option of standing out and not interfering in this process. They chose not to take that good advice," the minister can be heard saying in the clip.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB), however, has debunked claims that Jaishankar had said India informed Pakistan ahead of Operation Sindoor. In a post on X, the PIB's Fact Check Unit said the minister had not made any such statement and that he was being misquoted.
Operation Sindoor was the Indian offensive against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 17, 2025
EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it.
1. Who authorised it?
2. How many aircraft did our airforce lose as a result? pic.twitter.com/KmawLLf4yW
