Controversy Erupts Over Classroom Video Mocking Muslim Prayer in French School

"These young people are mocking Islam by imitating Muslims in a classroom, while being filmed by their teacher," denounced the Tajmaât (public square in Kabyle) account, which contacted the Nantes academy. In less than 24 hours, the video was viewed more than 49,000 times on Twitter, according to France Bleu.

Tajmaât, which considers itself a "collaborative and community platform for North Africans," initially stated that the scene took place in a class at the public high school Pierre Mendès France in La Roche sur Yon in Vendée, before designating the private high school Notre-Dame-du-Roc in a second post.

To read: Islamophobic Attacks in France Surge 52% in 2020, Human Rights Commission Reports

For now, the origin of the video and the conditions under which it was filmed remain unknown. In any case, the scene was not filmed within the premises of the two establishments mentioned by the Tajmaât account. "This video was not shot in our premises. We do not recognize the room, the students, or the adult who seems to be supervising them," assures Serge Daniel, director of the private high school, to Saphir News. "This video has nothing to do with my establishment," Régis Jacqmin, principal of the public high school, also confides, specifying that it is nothing more than "fake news".

The heads of the two establishments have filed a complaint at the police station for defamation. Régis Jacqumin has alerted the Pharos platform of the Ministry of the Interior, which allows reporting suspicious or illegal content. The prefecture of Rennes would also have brought the case to the attention of the cybercrime unit of the national police.