News:

Police officials in the southern French city of Nice questioned an 8-year-old boy who is believed to have made comments in school defending the gunmen who killed 17 people in terrorist attacks in and near Paris this month, a senior regional police official confirmed on Thursday.

Conflicting reports remain as to the nature of the comments made by the boy, with some reports claiming he said, "We must kill all French people". Identified only as Ahmed, he was asked if he was Charlie, in reference to the satirical involved in the attack, three times by his teacher, to which he replied that he opposed the cartoons because of its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad and he was on the side of the attackers. He had also caused concern at the school when he refused to acknowledge a minute's silence for the 12 victims killed in the attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo. Both father and son were held and interviewed by police.

The supposed statements of Ahmed grabbed headlines across the country and spurred a debate on social media and elsewhere about whether France's desire to combat terrorism was tipping over into hysteria. The questioning of the boy was condemned as "unacceptable" by the France's main Islamophobia watchdog.  Since the attacks, France has moved to enforce tough new laws against the incitement of terrorism, fueling tensions between free speech and public order.

Comment:

The Charlie Hebdo attacks gave the Western governments the excuse they needed to finally crackdown on the Muslim community in a way they had planned for some time. It is no longer viewed as hypocritical for the freedom of speech of Muslims to be limited, it is seen as protecting national security. The values and principles of Islam have been publicly deemed extreme and Muslims are told they must accept the need for reform if they wish to live in a secular state.

Critical thinking by Muslims has been criminalized and government policies have become explicit in ensuring advocating the targeting of Muslims, young and old to prevent "radicalization".  Muslims will be monitored if they disagree with Western foreign policy, feel a desire for political or moral change or questioned media reporting on certain issues. The façade of integration or any calls for tolerance and respect has disappeared entirely.

Indeed, we are seeing the truth in what Allah (swt) says in Surah Baqarah verse 120:

وَلَن تَرْضَى عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلاَ النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلاَ نَصِيرٍ

"And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the only guidance." If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper."

The outlook for Muslims in the West is bleak, with attacks on Muslims individually and in the media daily. But it is in remembrance of this ayah that the Muslim community must persevere against the plans of the enemies of Islam in order to be successful.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Aisha Hasan