A Pakistani-born imam used TikTok to propagate terror, leading French officials to jail and deport the Muslim cleric.
The charges follow a host of Islamic terrorist attacks in France, and apply to Imam Luqman Haider, who will serve 18 months in jail. A Pakistani native, Haider arrived in France in 2015 and officiated at a mosque in Villiers-le-Bel in a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris.
Haider published three videos on TikTok which French officials deemed as promoting – if not glorifying – terrorism.
In one video, Haider discussed the Charlie Hebdo cartoons, uncritically stating “Muslim worshippers are willing to sacrifice themselves for the prophet.” Another video shows Haider discussing “attacking non-Muslims and disbelievers” and “sending them to hell.”
The final video flagged by French authorities was a tribute for the terrorist who wounded four in a knife attack outside the former offices of Charlie Hebdo, whom the imam labeled a “brave man.”
Following Haider serving his sentence, he will be forced to return to Pakistan.
It is unclear whether or not TikTok moved to remove the terrorism-promoting content from its platform. The incident, however, adds to a growing list of reasons to ban the Chinese Communist Party-compromised app from the U.S.
