Swedish teachers after the act in France: "We must be prepared that it may happen here too"

French teacher Samuel Paty was assassinated on Friday after showing a caricature of Muhammad during a lesson on freedom of speech.

The act has been condemned all over the world and in Sweden the teaching staff mourns their deceased colleague.

- This is terrible in every way.

It's a colleague who had to pay with his life in terrible ways when he did his job.

You get dumbfounded, says Olof Linton, high school teacher at Östra Real in Stockholm.

He believes that the act, which he describes as an attack on freedom of expression and democratic society, could have taken place anywhere in Europe.

Also in Sweden.

- I unfortunately think that this is something that we must see as an actual risk even in Swedish schools and contexts.

Then the attacks can come from Islamist or right-wing extremist quarters.

But we must be prepared for that to happen.

It is not a question of, but when, he says.

"Can't bend us"

According to Olof Linton - who now calls for a clear signal from both the government, school and society at large - it is a natural part of the teaching to address controversial topics, which may also include the display of offensive material.

- In those cases, I always warn that it can be experienced as very unpleasant.

Most teachers are capable of maintaining that dialogue with students.

But it is very important as a teacher to keep this in the teaching.

We can not bow to extremist and fundamentalist teachings, he says.

"Important questions"

Charlotta Hemlin, a teacher at Westerlundska gymnasiet in Enköping, also describes a great grief among her colleagues after the act.

- We must continue to discuss freedom of expression.

School is a part of society and in society it is becoming increasingly polarized.

Then it is even more important that we in the school take the discussion, and then also the difficult discussions, she says.

"Gets upset"

High school teacher Mattias Axelsson in Gothenburg is also taken by the incident.

- You are appalled.

I became both angry and sad at the same time.

That a teacher is murdered because of his professional practice is so terrible that it is difficult to imagine, he says.

He believes that pressure due to teaching materials, as far as is known, is still relatively uncommon in Sweden.

- As a teacher, I have to choose which material I use.

Then there is no end in itself to provoke and offend.

It can be if I feel that I reach a higher purpose with increased learning or understanding, then I should definitely be able to show a Muhammad caricature or someone who burns a Swedish flag.