Paris (AFP)
The 13 regions of France have taken the initiative to publish a book of political and religious caricatures for distribution in high schools, in reaction to the assassination of teacher Samuel Paty, their president Renaud Muselier announced on Monday.
"We, the presidents of the regions of France, are today taking the initiative to prepare the publication of a book bringing together the most striking religious and political cartoons published in the regional press alongside those published in the national press", he said on the occasion of the Congress of the Regions of France in St-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis).
"We are going to ask a college of historians to put into perspective the right to caricature in the political history of our country," added Mr. Muselier, after having condemned this "despicable and cowardly assassination".
The president of Regions of France specified that the Ministry of National Education would be associated "with this initiative so that this book can be made available to all high school students in France".
"By this gesture, while respecting our skills, we want to bear witness to our commitments to defend the values of the Republic and the fundamental right of each and every one of our fellow citizens to live in peace and freedom", underlined Mr. Muzzle, before a minute of silence in memory of the teacher Samuel Paty.
As a guest, the president of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF), François Baroin, welcomed this initiative "to disseminate on a large scale to all high schools in France one of the expressions of freedom".
In his intervention, he also demanded that a "republican order (...) be established over the entire territory".
Samuel Paty was beheaded on Friday around 5:00 p.m. near the college where he was teaching history and geography in a quiet area of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.
His assailant, Abdoullakh Anzorov, was killed by the police.
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