French-born Muslim receives death threat over London 'Je suis Charlie' sign | World news | The GuardianFrench-born Muslim receives death threat over London 'Je suis Charlie' sign | World news | The Guardian










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Charlie Hebdo attack



French-born Muslim receives death threat over London 'Je suis Charlie' sign









Adel Defilaux placed sign outside his coffee shop in east London, but was then threatened by a man who said supporters of the Paris victims deserved to die

















Cafe owner Adel Defilaux received death threats for displaying a Je Suis Charlie sign. Photograph: Luke Macgregor/Reuters



Nick Winchester


Wednesday 14 January 2015 13.07 EST







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A French-born Muslim has received a death threat over a “Je suis Charlie” sign he placed outside his coffee shop in east London.
Adel Defilaux, 32, put the sign up in response to the killings of 17 people in Paris last week .
On Tuesday morning a man entered Defilaux’s shop and ordered him to remove the sign, saying it offended him and his community. 
Defilaux said the man initially appeared calm, but later became enraged and told him supporters of the Paris victims deserved to die.
He threatened to smash up the shop if Defilaux’s handwritten chalkboard sign was not removed. 
“I wanted a conversation between two adults,” said Defilaux. “I tried to tell him my point of view but he said: ‘You’re French; you are not a Muslim.’”
Defilaux refused to remove the sign. 



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Adel Defilaux outside his cafe in Brick Lane.
Photograph: Luke Macgregor/Reuters


Police are investigating the incident, which Defilaux said left him scared for the safety of his staff. 
“He began to approach me and it felt dangerous,” Defilaux said. “He said the people in Paris deserved to be killed and anyone who supports the cause also deserves to die.” 
Defilaux’s coffee shop is on Brick Lane in east London, an area with a large Muslim community. Before the incident, Defilaux said he had discussed putting up the “Je suis Charlie” sign with his neighbours, and there had been no complaints. 
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan police said police were called at approximately 9.20am on Tuesday “by a shopkeeper in Brick Lane, who had been threatened by a man after he displayed a ‘Je Suis Charlie’ poster outside his shop. The man also made threats to cause criminal damage to his shop. “Officers from Tower Hamlets attended and are in contact with the shopkeeper in order to try to identify the person responsible and to see what action can be taken.”
Inquiries continue and there have been no arrests, the spokeswoman said. 




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