French Teenager Heavily Criticized Islam, Prompting Free Speech Debate In France

Free speech is something we usually enjoy in the United States (when social media isn’t infringing on it, at least) thanks to the First Amendment rights protecting freedom of speech among other rights provided in that amendment. However, freedom of speech is more limited in countries like France, where it is outright illegal to “incite hatred and attack dignity” according to French President Macron, severely limiting freedom of speech and allowing for what happened to a French teenager to happen the way that it has.
 
Let me provide some context first. Back in January 18th, a 16-year-old French girl was doing a livestream on Instagram, showing people how she did her make-up (something plenty of girls around that age do in this era). The girl, whom we’ll refer to simply as Mila due to her young age, recounted the events of that particular livestream to the host of a chat show called Le Quotidien (The Daily), where she said: “A guy was hitting on me heavily during the live, telling me ‘you’re beautiful, you’re hot, what age are you?’”
 
Following that, she informed her viewers that she was a lesbian and that “blacks and Arabs” were not her type. This, she says, prompted a series of insults and threats thrown her way, with someone who identified themselves as a Muslim calling her a “dirty lesbian” and a “dirty whore.” You know, nothing but love from the “religion of peace.”
 
With the insults and threats thrown her way, Mila stood her ground and began to go off on the entire religion of Islam, saying: “The Koran is a religion of hatred, there is only hatred in it. Islam is s**t, your religion is s**t,” and then went on to describe lewd things she would do to the Muslim god.
 
A couple of things to say about this. First, not sure if there is an error in translation or what, but of course, the Koran is not the religion itself. It’s the “holy” book that Muslims follow in their faith.
 
Second, she isn’t lying when she says that it’s full of hatred. Of course, not every single verse in the Koran reads: “kill infidels”, but it very much justifies violence and hatred against those who are not Muslims.
 
Sura (chapter) 2:190-193 in the Qu’ran reads: “Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you… and slay them wherever you catch them… and fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah.” So the Koran tells Muslims to “fight” the “enemies of Allah” wherever they appear, even going so far as to kill them if necessary.
 
Sura 4:101 reads: “For the Unbelievers are unto you open enemies.” This is a direct call to recognize anyone who is not Muslim as an open enemy to Islam, so the aforementioned 2nd chapter becomes more “justified” in their eyes. And there are plenty more passages in the Koran that speak of fighting the enemies of “Allah”, plenty of which are fairly gruesome in detail as to what Muslims should do to the “unbelievers.”
 
The Koran justifies the use of violence, even as far as killing their enemies. Muslim apologists might try and argue that the Koran says to do it if in the case of self-defense or in the case of oppression, but look at the state of the Middle East today and tell me how exactly that’s worked out. If they had to kill to save their own lives, that’s one thing. But they consider even insults to Mohammed a direct attack on Islam and to kill those who insult Mohammed is considered “self-defense.” If you remember, back in 2015, a French satirical publication was attacked by Muslims, with at least 12 casualties, because of a caricature contest to draw Mohammed. Insulting the “prophet” is seen as a crime punishable by DEATH in Pakistan and the “prophet” himself, when he was alive and running Medina, allowed the killing of people who mocked or ridiculed him.
 
And in the case of oppression, they considered the U.S. going into the Middle East to find bin Laden and fight against al-Qaeda an “invasion”, with Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini using the argument of “oppression” from the U.S. as a justification for attacking our armed forces.
 
So when the girl says that the Koran is filled with hatred, she isn’t wrong in the least. Muslims find justification in vile acts of terrorism and genocide in their Koran. Obviously, most Muslims don’t actually do that, otherwise the entire world would constantly be attacked by Muslims 24/7, but the point remains: the Koran justifies hatred and extreme violence.
 
But following the pushback by the French teenager, Muslims, obviously, were extremely livid and eventually, her home address and school address were published online. According to HotAir.com: “The video was widely shared on social media, where it elicited more threats, including of death and rape.”
 
A senior member of the French Council of the Muslim Faith told French radio: “You reap what you sow”, adding that the girl “asked for [the threats]”.
 
Like I said, the Koran justifies this, so this senior member of the Council of Muslim Faith feels justified in saying “you reap what you sow” regarding death and rape threats towards the 16-year-old girl. “If you insult Islam, you deserve to be threatened and even killed,” is the message here.
 
Now, I personally do believe the comments were a bit too vulgar (though not untrue), but considering the insults and threats thrown her way both before and after those comments, I would 100% have to side with the girl here. It is outrageous that people would insult her and threaten her like this for stating her opinion, roughly-stated as it may have been and offensive as it may have been.
 
Of course, like I said in the title, it prompted a debate regarding free speech in France, with free speech thankfully winning out in the end, with even socialist Macron saying she had the right to say what she said, crude as it may have been.
 
Thankfully, the girl is safe (as far as we know right now) and has moved schools, with protection from the government. She likely would be far safer if the country of France didn’t just have open borders for criminals and terrorists to enter freely, but this is the idiocy the French people have voted into office.
 
I pray that the girl stays safe and that she would turn her life over to the Lord Jesus, so that she might be saved once she does eventually pass.
 
Psalm 4:8
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”