People gather on Place de la Republique , Paris, On October 18, in support of freedom of speech and to pay tribute to French history teacher Samuel Paty, who was beheaded near Paris after discussing caricatures of Islam's Prophet Muhammad with his class
Credit: Michel Euler/AP
A British charity worker has been accused of stoking tension and community resentment by campaigning for a boycott of French products following the beheading of a teacher.
Aymen Gharred, who works for the Birmingham-based Hand in Hand for Syria charity, is one of a number of activists calling on British muslims to join the boycott of French goods and services following that country’s defence of the right to publish cartoons making fun of the Prophet Muhammed.
The controversy exploded once again after French teacher Samuel Paty, 47, (see picture below) showed his pupils controversial cartoons of the Prophet to his class on October 6.
Ten days later he was attacked and beheaded by 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, who was in turn shot dead by police at the Collège Bois-d’Aulne in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, outside Paris.
Samuel Paty
Credit: Twitter/Reuters
Seven people, including two students and a parent of one of Mr Paty’s pupils, were detained in the days following the killing.
French president Macron and other leading politicians and intellectuals responded by not only condemning the attack but defending the French Republic’s secular traditions and the right to publish satirical — or even ‘blasphemous’ — cartoons and writings directed at any religion.
That led to international calls by some Muslim activists of a boycott of French goods and services.
Calling for British muslims to join the boycott Mr Gharred issued a message stating: “We have all heard and seen what’s going on in France at the moment; ongoing insults against our beloved prophet . . the French president defending and promoting this without any doubt or shame and attacking Islam in the most offensive ways . . . the rise of Islamophobia in France and Islamophobia and racist policies of the French government.”
He went on: “Large supermarkets in Kuwait and Qatar among others indicated they will boycott French products. The least we can do is support this growing movement by avoiding to buy French products.”
Mr Gharred, who lives in Birmingham, goes on to list dozens of French goods and services which should be shunned by British muslims, including Evian and Volvic water, Bic pens, Michelin tyres, Peugeot and Renault cars, Air France, Dior perfume and bags, L’Oreal makeup and skin care, Danone foods and President butter and cheese.
He ends his call by stating: “Enough is enough! Stand up for our Prophet, stand up for our Islam! #boycottfrenchproducts #boycottfrance”
Mr Gharred is one of a number of activists calling for British muslims to join the boycott, which is backed by some groups in the Middle East and beyond.
But the call has been condemned in Britain as threatening to inflame tensions and designed to encourage support for radical Islamists.
Hannah Stuart, Director of Research at the Counter Extremism Group, said: “Boycotts are a legal and valuable way for people to express their anger and hurt. But this sort of action is designed to create and exploit tensions within the muslim community in Britain.
“That creates a sense of alienation and resentment within the community which Islamists can exploit. We’ve already seen examples of terror attacks in France in recent days and what’s needed is for the heat to be taken out of the situation, not ramped up.”
Following the beheading, three people were killed in a knife attack at the Notre-Dame basilica in Nice, in what French President Emmanuel Macron said was an "Islamist terrorist attack".
An extra 4,000 troops were deployed to protect churches and schools in the wake of the attack.
French schools held a nationwide minute of silence Monday in honor of M. Paty.
There have been anti-French demonstrations in Bangladesh and Indonesia, along with Turkey, Syria, Mali and the Gaza Strip, while in parts of the Gulf retailers and consumers have boycotted French products.
However, several French Muslim leaders condemned calls for boycotts of French goods in Muslim countries as "unjustified" and accused those leading them of "using Islam for political gain".
Hand in Hand (HIFHAD) was founded to raise money for shattered communities in Syria, working in some of the country’s worst hit areas to help rebuild war-torn communities. Its work includes health, education and agriculture, as well as emergency shelter and water.
The charity’s country director told The Telegraph: “Ayman works for HIHFAD as UK Logistics Manager where he runs the warehouse and arrange for containers and deliveries into the warehouse in Birmingham
“Ayman is not a spokesperson for HIHFAD and anything he says is in a personal capacity. He is entitled to his opinion as long as he doe not cross any boundaries
Mr Al-Dairi added: “HIHFAD enjoys an excellent relationship with the French Foreign Office and the Special Advisor to President Macron and we believe in dialogue. A boycott achieves nothing.
“However, we remain focused on our humanitarian work inside Syria and raising awareness about the suffering of civilians inside Syria.”
Mr Gharred did not respond to requests for comment when contacted by The Telegraph.
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