After the September 25, 2020 stabbing of two people outside the former Paris offices of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, the French police initially detained at least seven people, including the main suspect.[1]The main suspect is a Pakistani immigrant who gave his age as 18 and took "responsibility" for the stabbing.[2] Other reports give his age as 25.[3]
Roznama Ummat's report.
A court in France is hearing a 2015 case in which a dozen people, mainly editors, were killed by two jihadi brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi at the office of Charlie Hebdo after the weekly published cartoons depicting Muhammad. At least 14 accomplices of Said and Cherif Kouachi are standing trial for the 2015 attack. In this year's attack, the main attacker was identified as Zaheer Hassan Mahmoud, whose family lives in the town of Mandi Bahauddin in Pakistan's Punjab province.
Following are excerpts from a report published in the pro-jihad Urdu Pakistani daily Roznama Ummat:[4]
"Zaheer Mahmoud Is Being Considered A Hero Across All Of Pakistan, Including [In The Town Of] Mandi Bahauddin"
"On the other side, Zaheer Mahmoud is being considered a hero across all of Pakistan, including Mandi Bahauddin. Zaheer Mahmoud's father Irshad Mahmoud says he is proud of his mujahid son. The relatives of the attack... present in Pakistan are proud of him. Zaheer Hassan Mahmoud, born in Mandi Bahauddin, accepted the attack saying he carried out the attack as a reaction against Charlie Hebdo for publishing the blasphemous cartoons once again.
"It should be noted that a wave of anger and sadness ran through the entire Islamic world after the republication of the blasphemous cartoons by Charlie Hebdo recently at the beginning of the court trial of the case involving the 2015 attack on magazine, which is an enemy of Islam.
"During the protests in Pakistan against this blasphemous act, tribute was paid in glowing words to Zaheer Mahmoud, the main player in the [September 2020] Charlie Hebdo attack. At this time, Zaheer Mahmoud has been declared a hero in Mandi Bahauddin and the areas surrounding it... Zaheer Mahmoud belongs to the Kothli Qazi area of Mandi Bahauddin."
"Mother Rukhsana Begum Said That Their Son Had Told The Family Members Beforehand About This Attack And Asked Them For Their Prayers"
"Talking to [Roznama] Ummat, Zaheer Mahmoud's father Arshad Mahmoud, who is a farmer by occupation, said: 'Whatever Zaheer has done, it's very good; the punishment for committing blasphemy of the prophet is death; and the blasphemer deserves nothing less than death; the one who kills those who commit blasphemy against the prophet enters paradise and his entire family will go to paradise; this is the reason I feel very proud that my son has carried out such a good deed.'
"He said that he is not troubled over what kind of punishment in France his son will receive or what will happen [to him]; when he took this step he would have certainly thought about what would happen and how it will happen; he has taken a step in the path of Allah and he [Allah] will be his helper. He [Arshad Mahmoud] said: We have had no contact with Zaheer since his arrest and we do not know in what situation he is. However, we are attempting to create a means of contacting him. He said Zaheer should get all legal rights that are his right.
"Zaheer Mahmoud's mother Rukhsana Begum said that their son had told the family members beforehand about this attack and asked them for their prayers. She said: Zaheer told us that he would commit this deed after the Friday prayers [on September 25]; he had also called one of his friends and told him.
"On this occasion, Zaheer Mahmoud's father Irshad Mahmoud said that after his son's attack in Paris, neighbors and relatives began arriving at their home to congratulate them; the entire village is extremely proud of this deed of Zaheer; wherever you go they are only talking about this."
