LA PROVENCE, LE PARISIEN
(France)
AVIGNON - A French mother is to appear in court after dressing her three-year-old son, whom she named 'Jihad', in a t-shirt with the words "I am a bomb" written across his chest.
A nursery-school teacher alerted the police when her pupil came into school wearing the t-shirt, with his name written on his back and "Born September 11" beneath it.
The mother has confirmed that little "Jihad" was in fact born September 11, 2009.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Contacted by La Provence newspaper, the mother said that she was "gob-smacked" that the incident had provoked so much controversy.
She told La Provence: "I didn't intend anything by it. The word 'bomb' is used in the sense that he is a beautiful kid, nothing more." (In French, 'bomb' is slang for 'hot stuff').
"If it has shocked anyone then I am sorry, but I really didn't mean anything by it. I am Muslim, but I am not a practicing one. I live a European lifestyle. It's just a simple phrase on a t-shirt, there's nothing dangerous about it," she said.
According to Le Parisien, which has published a photo of the young boy, the t-shirt was given to him as a present from his uncle.
The 32-year-old Muslim woman and the boy's uncle will appear in court in Avignon on December 19, where they may face a suspended prison sentence and a symbolic fine of one euro (AUD $1.25).
