The myth of Zouheir, a 'hero Muslim security guard' in Paris
- 17 November 2015
A compelling story
about a heroic Muslim security guard stopping a suicide bomber from
entering the Stade de France on Friday, saving perhaps hundreds of
lives, is making the rounds on social media. But it's not true.
The
rumour sprang from a gripping account of the events outside the stadium
which was published by the Wall Street Journal on Sunday. The story
quoted a security guard who asked to only be identified by his first
name, Zouheir. The man described how one of the suicide attackers had a
ticket to the match between France and Germany, but was turned away from
the gates when guards found his explosive vest. The man backed away
from security guards and detonated the explosives. Zouheir gave a detailed account of events at the stadium, statements that were confirmed to the Wall Street Journal reporters by a police officer. But although the story relied on his account, it wasn't actually him who turned away the bomber - a detail that was confirmed to BBC Trending by Journal reporter Joshua Robinson. Instead, Zouheir was stationed elsewhere in the stadium, and related what he heard from colleagues who were closer to the bomb blast. And although his name is of Middle Eastern origin, his religion was never mentioned in the piece.
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