Michel Barnier visited the Bois-d’Aulne college in the Yvelines, where Samuel Paty taught. On Monday, a minute of silence will be held in colleges and high schools across France to honor both Samuel Paty and Dominique Bernard, both killed by radicalized Islamists, with the goal of continuing to fight against ignorance and fanaticism. The day before the ceremony in Arras, attended by over two thousand people and several ministers to honor Dominique Bernard, a French teacher killed by a former radicalized student, Michel Barnier is expected to visit the Bois-d’Aulne college in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, where Samuel Paty taught.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by his Education Minister, Anne Genetet, at the school still heavily impacted by the memory of Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher killed by a radicalized Islamist on October 16, 2020. The college is expected to be renamed in honor of Samuel Paty. Michel Barnier emphasized the importance of remembering these two teachers who taught French history, knowledge of the world, and a love for their language, passing on a love for learning and a sense of citizenship to their students.
Every school will hold a minute of silence at their own discretion in memory of the two teachers. The Ministry of Education explained that schools can also organize a time for reflection with students during the week, allowing them to discuss the values represented by the two teachers. Sophie Vénétitay, the general secretary of SNES-FSU, the largest union in secondary education, believes it is crucial for the school community to come together for this tribute to address the ongoing pain felt by many.
Samuel Paty, aged 47, was stabbed and beheaded by Abdoullakh Anzorov, a Chechen-Russian refugee, near his school on October 16, 2020. The 18-year-old radicalized Muslim student accused him of showing cartoons of Muhammad in class. Before being killed by the police, he celebrated having “avenged the prophet.” The impact of this attack was compounded by the killing of Dominique Bernard, 57, stabbed to death by Mohammed Mogouchkov, a former student radicalized for Islamic terrorism. M. Mogouchkov, 21, born in Russia, was detained and charged by an anti-terrorist judge four days after the incident he claimed in the name of ISIS.
During this week of tributes, the Samuel Paty Prize will be awarded at the Sorbonne on Saturday to recognize class projects focused on democratic principles and values. The events surrounding the deaths of Samuel Paty and Dominique Bernard highlight the ongoing threat of radicalization and the importance of standing up against terrorism and intolerance in education and society as a whole. The memory of these two teachers and their dedication to teaching and promoting citizenship will continue to inspire efforts to combat ignorance and fanaticism.
