Secularism: "Nothing has changed since Samuel Paty", laments Professor Didier Lemaire

Clément Perruche 8:23 p.m., October 14, 2021

INTERVIEW

At school, have things changed since Samuel Paty's assassination a year ago?

For Didier Lemaire, professor of philosophy who made himself known last February when he declared to be threatened by the Islamists in Trappes, the city in which he taught, the observation is overwhelming: the safety of professors is still threatened and the defense secularism has not progressed, he laments Thursday evening, in

on CNews and Europe 1. 

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National Education, responsible for the death of Samuel Paty?

National Education will organize a series of tributes to the history and geography teacher on Friday, including a minute of silence. But the ministry did not wish to make it compulsory in establishments. "A defeat", observes the professor of philosophy: "I am sad and still angry. That there is no obligation to honor the memory of Samuel Paty is absolutely unacceptable."

For the teacher, National Education is also partly responsible for the death of the teacher. "We are also dealing with a ball of hypocrites, because the truth is still not made on the responsibilities of the institution in this assassination. According to the report of the National Education, the referent secularism questioned the work of the teacher ", denounces Didier Lemaire. "Professor [Samuel Paty, Editor's note], even though he was threatened, was not placed under protection," he adds.

A year after this assassination, threats targeting teachers are still regular, according to Didier Lemaire.

"It is the school as a whole, everywhere in the territory, which is attacked. Today there are about ten teachers who are threatened with death and who are still not protected. These teachers are writing to me. They find themselves alone. This is the very reason that is attacked by Islamists today. " 

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"A total renunciation"

For Didier Lemaire, the responsibility for this situation lies with politicians. "It's a total renunciation. Nothing has changed since Samuel Paty. There are some minimal advances but there is no plan to counter this offensive. There is nothing being done for the school. which is under threat today. Pressure is everywhere in the classroom. "

In his book,

, Didier Lemaire discusses the responsibility of a colleague of Samuel Paty, who did not come to his aid when the professor was being killed by the Chechen terrorist, and who would have driven 600 kilometers to his second home. A "fact", according to the professor of philosophy, which calls for an investigation to be opened. "I wrote this page for an investigation. This fact was told to me by a person whom I consider trustworthy who exercises responsibility in the institution. I obviously cannot verify it myself. - even and I hope that an investigation will be opened because we are dealing with a very serious offense of non-assistance to a person in danger ",he explained.