French Imam Says Beheaded Teacher Is Martyr for Freedom of Speech

French Imam Says Beheaded Teacher Is Martyr for Freedom of Speech
Imam of Drancy Hassen Chalghoumi attends a national ceremony to pay tribute to the victims of militant attacks, in Paris, France, on Sept. 19, 2018. Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters
Reuters
Updated:

PARIS—A French imam said on Monday that the history teacher beheaded for showing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class was a martyr for freedom of speech, and he called on mosques in France to pray for the teacher on Friday.

Hassen Chalghoumi, imam of the Paris suburb of Drancy’s mosque, warned against Islamist extremists and called on Muslim parents not to foster a hatred of France.