Update on French Philosopher Robert Redeker

Four months ago, we mentioned here Robert Redeker, the French philosopher forced to go into hiding after Le Figaro published a column by him, labelled by the usual suspects as very islamically incorrect.

Adil al Hyanne was deported to Morocco from Libya, where he was hoping to join the Jihad in Iraq. This young man in his early twenties, who could very reasonably be described as an aspiring islamist, if not an islamist, has admitted to calling for Robert Redeker to be murdered. He posted on the Internet pictures of the philosopher, as well as his personal and professional addresses in Toulouse, including all his contact details, email addresses and phone numbers.

Adil al Hyanne was calling for the 'French Lions' to follow the example of the 'Dutch Lion', Mohammed al-Bouyeri, who butchered director Théo Van Gogh in November 2005.

Many websites had his incitement to murder republished, and so Robert Redeker will stay in hiding.

One reader left a comment on the website of the French daily newspaper Libération, saying that, actually, it had not been a Fatwa and that Robert Redeker was probably disappointed not to have become a French Salman Rushdie.

Perhaps it was not technically speaking a Fatwa, but what counts is the result. Some are already trying to reduce the responsibility of Adil al Hyanne; they are implying that it was some kind of joke and that he was not really an islamist. If this is true, then we don't share his sense of humour.

FG