Interior Minister Christophe Castaner on Tuesday said French teenager who made profane comments against Islam in an Instagram video is receiving police protection.
The 16-year-old girl, known publicly as Mila, has been pulled out of school after receiving repeated threats on social media and at her secondary school.
The incident has sparked fury from France’s anti-Islamic far right, as well as competing hashtags on social media: #JeSuisMila (I Am Mila) for her supporters and #JeNeSuisPasMila (I Am Not Mila) for critics.
The teenager told TMC television on Monday that she was not sorry for blaspheming in the January Instagram video story.
She, however, said she did regret using vulgar language and offending people “who practice their religion in peace.’’
In the video, she said there was “nothing but hate’’ in Islam’s holy book, the Koran, before making a vulgar comment about Islam and an obscene comment about God.
The teenage girl said she had been responding to multiple online threats and insults “in the name of Allah’’ after a dispute with another user who had tried to chat her up online.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen weighed in after Mila’s television appearance, tweeting: “In our country of freedom, it’s not Mila who should apologize, but those who threaten her with death. Bravo to this young secondary school student for her courage.’’
Castaner told the National Assembly that Mila and her family are the object of particular vigilance by the National Police to protect them.
