Ambassadørens tale
5/10 2023
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear colleagues, friends of liberty and freedom, and distinguished guests,
It is an honour to speak in front of you today on a topic that holds great significance, not only for France, for Denmark but for all of us who cherish democratic values. Four years ago, on October 16th, 2020, France experienced a tragic and horrific event, one more: the murder of Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher whose only "crime" was teaching about freedom of expression, one of the pillars of our Republic and the foundation of any democratic society.
His brutal death shook France to its core. It reignited a debate about the limits, if any, of free speech, the importance of education, and the threats posed by obscurantism and extremism, especially when stemming from religious belief or misbelief - in that case, calling a spade a spade, Islam. Today, I stand here to reflect on what this event has taught us and how we, as a society, have responded and is still responding to the challenges it raised.
Samuel Paty was more than just a victim of senseless violence; he became a symbol of the values we hold dear. As a teacher, he believed in the power of education to enlighten minds and foster critical thinking, “libre-arbitre, esprit critique” in French. He embodied the principles of the French Republic: “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity". In his classroom, he taught students to question, to debate, and to understand the importance of freedom of expression.
The attack on him was not just an attack on an individual but on these very principles. It was a horrific reminder that the freedoms we often take for granted can come under direct assault, even in the most democratic and liberal societies. But it also reminded us of something else: that our commitment to these freedoms must remain unwavering.
Freedom of expression is not just a French or European value; it is universal. It is enshrined in international declarations, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirms that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.” This freedom allows us to speak our minds, challenge authority and religion, criticize what we find unjust, and, importantly, to live in a society where diverse views can coexist.
However, with this freedom comes responsibility; the never-ending balance between rights and duties. It is an absolute right. We must always balance it with respect for others and the need to avoid incitement to violence or hate. The challenge we face today, in a world where information and disinformation spread rapidly and often without context nor explanation, is to protect free speech while also fostering tolerance and understanding.
In the aftermath of Samuel Paty’s murder, one of the most disturbing realizations was how extremism and disinformation fuelled this tragedy. A campaign of lies was waged against him on social media, distorting the truth of what had happened in his classroom and stoking the flames of hatred.
In the years since, we have seen an increasing polarization of societies around the world. Extremist ideologies, whether religious or political, thrive on fear and misinformation. Social media platforms, while giving voice to millions, have also become breeding grounds for falsehoods and radicalism. This environment presents a profound challenge to our democratic values and systems.
It is essential, therefore, that we tackle disinformation with the same vigour that we defend free speech. We must ensure that education, like the one Samuel Paty dedicated his life to, equips young people with the tools they need to critically evaluate information, question sources, and resist the lure of extremism.
Education remains our most powerful defence against intolerance, ignorance, and hate. Samuel Paty understood this better than anyone. As a society, we owe it to him — and to ourselves — to ensure that his legacy lives on in our classrooms.
This means more than just teaching the principles of free speech. It requires fostering a culture of open dialogue where students feel safe to express differing opinions, where they can learn to disagree without hostility, and where they understand that freedom of expression must coexist with mutual respect.
In France, and across the world, we must continue to invest in education systems that not only impart knowledge but also promote civic values. We must support our teachers, like Samuel Paty, who are on the front lines of this effort, often in the face of increasing challenges.
As decision-makers, we have a responsibility to create environments where freedom of expression can flourish, while also protecting our citizens. In France, we have taken steps to strengthen laws against hate speech, to better regulate online platforms, and to ensure that those who threaten or incite violence are held accountable.
But this is not a challenge that any one nation can tackle alone. We must work together across borders, across cultures, and across political divides to safeguard these values. The fight against extremism, against disinformation, and against those who seek to undermine democratic freedoms is a global one.
France and Denmark, as partners and as members of the international community, have a shared interest in promoting and defending freedom of expression and have a very special relation in that domain. Our collaboration, whether through international forums, joint initiatives, or educational exchanges, is critical to ensuring that these values endure.
As we reflect on the events of four years ago, let us not be discouraged by the threats we face. Instead, let us reaffirm our commitment to the principles that Samuel Paty stood for. Let us honour his memory by continuing to champion freedom of expression, by fostering dialogue and understanding, and by standing united against intolerance and extremism.
Each of us whether in government, in education, or as individuals has a role to play. We must be vigilant in defending our freedoms, but we must also be proactive in promoting a society where those freedoms are respected, understood, and upheld with responsibility.
In closing, I leave you with the words of Voltaire, whose defence of freedom of speech remains timeless: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” These words encapsulate the very heart of what we stand for, and it is our duty to ensure that this spirit endures for generations to come.
Thank you.
Christophe Parisot
Ambassadeur de France au Danemark
Frankrigs ambassadørs, Christophe Parisots, tale ved Rahbeks ytringsfrihedssalon torsdag den 5. oktober 2023 hos Berlingske Media:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Three years ago, Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, was murdered by Islamist terrorists in a most brutal way. The emotion aroused by this barbaric act was profound. The pain was intense because, once again, a life had been taken away, away from its family, from its loved ones and causing a national trauma. But this cowardly assassination went far beyond that. This barbaric act targeted the person, but also the function. It was not the first time, unfortunately, that Islamist terrorism had struck my country. But it was the first time it targeted a teacher, who was working every day to raise our children's awareness and understanding of the world, so that every day they become more than adults, they become citizens. This is why Samuel Paty's death has made him, in spite of himself, a symbol. A symbol of the struggle for knowledge against ignorance, for tolerance and respect against hatred, for freedom against oppression.
In France and Denmark, we are fortunate to live in societies where freedom of expression is guaranteed by the constitution. This freedom has been hard-won. In France, it stems from the philosophy of the Enlightenment, and enshrines the rising of humanism, a notion that places human development at the heart of the political project. It is featured in the articles 10 and 11 of the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and the Citizen of 1789. It allows to express free will, the freedom to believe or not to believe, and freedom of conscience. It means making a fundamental distinction between what is linked to mankind, which must be protected, and what is linked to ideas, which can be criticized. It is freedom of conscience that allows debate to take place, allows arguments to be expressed, and allows the choice of convincing or being convinced through dialogue. It allows beliefs, religious or not, to be criticized. It also enshrines respect for others and rejects violence.
Yet this freedom is attacked by those who prefer ignorance and hatred and want to destroy what we are. Those whose political project can only flourish through terror and lies. Those who do not accept that we can fight against their ideas, whether through debate or humor. In 2015, you all remember the attacks on the newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The impact of this murder was all the greater in Denmark, which had exposed itself in the same way by publishing cartoons a few years earlier. Freedom of expression was shaking, targeted by barbarity. But this attack made us collectively aware of the need to fight for it, to better understand it, and better defend it. And we decided that we would carry on with our right to express opinions, and to caricature.
In France, the notion of laïcité (which is partially translatable in secularism) is often a debated subject. This notion is sometimes wrongly seen as an attack on religion, but it’s in fact quite the opposite. In France, and I’m mentioning this as we’re precisely in the Nobel week, it was championed by teacher and pedagogue Ferdinand Buisson, winner of the 1927 Nobel Peace Prize. Laïcité is the right to believe or not to believe, and not to be discriminated against by the state based on one's beliefs. This notion is inseparable from the notion of neutrality of the State with regard to religious matters, which stems from the separation from the Church in 1905. This is why France guarantees the right to wear religious symbols to everyone. There are only a few limitations: 1/ firstly, in the interests of public order, which makes it compulsory to have a visible face in the public space for safety reasons; 2/ secondly, in order to respect the principle of neutrality that I just mentioned, which applies to public officials in the course of their duties; and 3/ lastly, in schools, where we believe that minds are not yet sufficiently formed to resist external pressures, hence the need to create neutral spaces that favors learning.
Each country has its own organization, and the application of freedom of expression necessarily takes into account local particularities. The only thing that doesn't change is the universality of these values, which are the foundation of our democracies and enable the elevation of mankind. Denmark is the country of Grundtvig, who also defended them. It's a fine heritage that contributed to the cohesion and prosperity of this country. These values are also those that France and Denmark defend abroad and in international forums, and we must continue to teach and promote them to protect our democracies.
For the past years, we have been receiving anonymous tributes outside our embassy on various anniversaries of terrorist attacks. I'd like to say thank you to those who keep the Enlightenment alive with their flowers and candles and show that we can rally behind our shared values despite our differences of opinion. It's a message of hope for the future. And I'd also like to thank the teachers in every country who pass on these values to the younger generations. They are demanding, but they deserve it, because they bring out the best in all of us. As French philosopher Honoré Mirabeau said in 1776, education and freedom are at the core of human prosperity.
I'd like to end this speech with an optimistic message: a quotation from Amin Maalouf, the Franco-Lebanese writer who has just been elected Secretary General of the Académie Française, and who, in his essay "Les identités meurtrières" (Deadly Identities), said that it's the way we look at others that often locks them into their narrowest allegiances, and it's also the way we look at them that can set them free.
Thank you.