My name is Ahmed Merabet. Not Francois or Pierre or Gaston. Just Ahmed. I was a French policeman in Paris on duty when the gunmen struck the Charlie Hebdo magazine’s offices. When I saw what was happening, I immediately sprung into action. But my weapons were in no comparison to the impressive firepower the attackers carried.
But I did my best. Like I had been trained to do.
They killed me at a point blank range and in cold blood when I was lying injured. I did my duty as an officer of the law. I died defending those who had insulted my religion against these killers. When I went into action I did not think who was who or which religion, I just did what a police officer does. But few people have registered that the police officer who died in this killing spree was a Muslim. I want them to know that because the first thing people would imagine is that all French police are Caucasian, certainly not a Muslim who got gunned down.
My fellow mates are devastated. We were comrades in the best sense of the word. I know they will give me a fitting farewell. They know it could have been one of them.
As with the people. Not just in France but all of us who wish to live our lives in dignity and grace and without fear.
‘Je Suis Ahmed’ was written in solidarity on many a banner when people gathered to mourn the innocent dead. To me there was an epiphany in that.
And in my town my family and all the citizens there mourned my loss with grace and dignity. They did not separate by religion. They came together as fellow countrymen. As my brother so eloquently said in remembering my sacrifice: “He was a true Muslim, very proud of being a police officer and defending the values of the Republic.”
He got that one right.
Many a person in our violent world is devastated by such violence and the acts of barbarity. I am most afraid that there will be a major backlash against my community in France and people, in their fear, will not be able to differentiate between terrorists and Muslims and there is a massive difference. Which is why I want the world to know that I died a good Muslim, in uniform doing what I was trained to do: Save and protect the unarmed civilian.
Je Suis Ahmed. Please stop with the killings and the flow of blood.
