This is with reference to the killings of seven peoples in Toulouse (France) by Muhammad Merah, a 24-year-old French national of Algerian origin. He had been under surveillance by French intelligence for a couple of years, having already committed certain infractions, some with violence. The killings occurred during a divisive presidential race that had already turned toward questions of immigration and Islam.
It is unfortunate to note here that immediately after the incident French and international media started accusing Pakistan as responsible for the killings. Mr Merah made two trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan in November 2010 and August 2011 respectively. According to the French authorities, he made them on his own as monitored by the French intelligence agencies. However, the reports do not suggest his links and training in tribal areas, even as per media reports TTP has disowned any role behind the killings.
Even though some French investigators say Mr Merah was effectively a lone, self-radicalised extremist, his violent ideology fits closely with some French stereotypes of Islam, and Muslims in France fear that the tensions brought on by the murders may prove more lasting. Merah’s links with Pakistan is a typical example of malafide objectives to malign Pakistan for providing sanctuaries to foreign fighters and blanketing the issues of homegrown problems of radicalisation attributed to various reasons confronted by European countries.
AFIA AMBREEN
Rawalpindi
