An eight-year-old boy has been questioned by police for refusing to honour a silence for the Charlie Hebdo victims and declaring: ‘I am with the terrorists.’
The boy, who is a Muslim, made his comments during at his school in the city of Nice in southern France.
His arrest has led to accusations from Muslims of ‘collective hysteria’ and ‘hypocrisy’ after his headteacher reported him to the police.
Marcel Authier, who is in charge of public security in the region, said: ‘Obviously, the child doesn’t understand what he’s saying.’
It is thought his claims of supporting ‘the terrorists’ come from his belief that Charlie Hebdo should not have printed images of Muhammed, as it is offensive to Muslims.
The boy, who was questions for ‘around half-an-hour’ before being allowed to play with toys, was asked by detectives if he knew what a ‘terrorist’ was.
He answered: ‘I don’t know’
A spokesman for France’s Collective Against Islamophobia said: ‘Father and son are deeply shocked by their treatment which illustrates the collective hysteria that has engulfed France.
It was also claimed that the young boy suffers from behavioral problems.
