Teen critic of Islam becomes centre of free speech debate in France

Youth has received death threats online after her foul-mouthed attack on Muslim faith

MUNICH, GERMANY - JUNE 15: A man carrying a huge French flag arrives ahead of the EURO 2020 Group F match between France and Germany at Allianz Arena on June 15, 2021 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Leonhard Simon/Getty Images)
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A French teenager has sparked a national debate about free speech after she received death threats for a vulgar, online attack on Islam and was defended by President Emmanuel Macron.

Mila, 18, says she craves a normal life after a furore last year when her videos criticising Islam in obscenities went viral on social media.

The outspoken teen, who says she has received more than 100,000 hateful messages, is unlikely to have that after she brings out a book titled I am the Price of Your Freedom.

Its publication comes as the trial resumes in Paris of 13 people accused of subjecting her to harassment that led her to leave school and be placed under police protection.

The story of Mila goes to the core of the debate over freedom of expression that has raged in France since 2015, when gunmen attacked the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

She has been feted by some, especially on the right, as a hero of freedom of expression in secular France, while critics accuse her of needlessly provoking observant Muslims.

"We no longer have the right to mock, criticise or insult religions, even when they are intolerant, sexist or homophobic," she writes in her book.

On January 18, 2020, Mila who was 16 at the time and describes herself as pansexual, meaning she is attracted to people of all genders, was asked if she has a preference for whites, Arabs or black people.

"I answered simply that Arabs and blacks are not particularly my type and that they do not attract me physically," writes Mila, whose full name has been withheld for security reasons.

A boy who had shown interest in her then insulted her "in the name of Allah".

After receiving threats she launched into an anti-Islam tirade and her outburst triggered a flood of responses.

Mila, who was forced to leave school – none would enrol her, for security reasons – says her life became "hell".

She started wearing a disguise whenever she went outside.

"Even when I go outside, I am in prison," she told French television recently.

On a language study trip to Malta last summer she was threatened with death by a fellow student who recognised her. He was arrested and convicted on the island.

Mila then published a new video in November, repeating her previous tirade.

The 13 being tried in Paris over the harassment are aged between 18 and 30. Most have no criminal records.

They face up to three years in prison and a fine of €45,000 ($38,000) if convicted.

Several defendants told the court on Monday they did not think before tweeting.

A language student identified as Lauren G, 21, said she was "tired of seeing her name all the time in my news feed".

One of her co-accused, Axel G, 19, said he reacted in anger because he considered Mila's remarks about Islam to be "racist" and "blasphemous".

When the controversy erupted supporters of the teen tweeted solidarity under the hashtag #JeSuisMila, echoing the #JeSuisCharlie slogan around which millions of people rallied after the deadly 2015 attacks on Charlie Hebdo's offices.

President Emmanuel Macron was among those who defended her, saying: "The law is clear. We have the right to blaspheme, to criticise and caricature religions."

But not everyone echoed such sentiments, especially on the left.

Asked by French television "Are You Mila?" the Socialist former president Francois Hollande replied testily: "No, I am Francois Hollande."

"We have the right to criticise religions," Mr Hollande said. "Mila had every right to criticise religion.

"But, like everyone else, me the first, she should not engage in hate speech about those who practise their religion."

Mila has vowed to continue.

"Even if I have a knife placed under my neck, I won't stop speaking out," she told TF1 TV this month.