In France, Muslim students started threatening a teacher because of a 17th century painting shown to him in class. writes about this Paris Match.
The incident took place at a secondary school in Issou, in the Yvelines region. On December 7, a French teacher introduced Italian artist Giuseppe Cesari’s painting “Diana and Actaeon” to sixth-grade students as part of an introductory art class. Completed around 1602, the painting depicts five naked women. The nudity confused some teens, with some saying it “conflicted with their religious beliefs,” according to the publication.
“Some students returned, felt insulted and said they were shocked,” said the secretary of the French teachers’ union.
Students began to accuse the teacher, claiming that he “deliberately disturbed” her and even used racist expressions in class. However, it was later understood that these accusations were slander and the students apologized to the teacher.
However, his colleagues described the incident as the last straw and on December 11, they suspended school classes and went on strike. In the e-mail they sent to the school administration, they explained that they had to take this step due to the increase in incidents and violence at school.
One of the teachers commented on the incident: “We are very afraid for our colleague, we remembered Samuel Paty.”
The general secretary of the French teachers’ union also mentioned that there is tension among teachers due to the possible threat of radical Islamists.
Previously there were 183 school children in France suspended from classes for extremism.