People have taken to Twitter to celebrate the life of a police officer who died outside the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
A total of 12 people were killed including eight editorial staff, one worker, one visitor, one policeman who was on the cartoonists' security detail and one policeman who shot dead on the street.
Among them was Ahmed Merabet a police officer from Paris, widely described by local media as a married man and a Muslim.
Graphic footage surfaced in the hours after the massacre of him lying injured on a pavement and apparently raising his arms in defence before one of the gunmen behind the attack shot him dead.
As the gunmen moved closer, Ahmed was seen raising his hand before reportedly asking: "Do you want to kill me?"
The gunman is said to have replied: "OK chief" before shooting him in the head at point blank range and escaping.
The hashtag #iamahmed or #JeSuisAhmed aims to create awareness of how a Muslim man died defending the freedom of others to print what he himself may have found offensive.
All those who use #JeSuisCharlie to fuel their racism need to remember #IAmAhmed a Muslim who died protecting the right to ridicule is faith
— Linzi Myles (@Linzimyles) January 9, 2015
#IamAhmed -I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it- Voltaire
— tunggalp (@tunggalp) January 9, 2015
#IamAhmed and I died for my principles! Yes, #Islam orders to defend the dignity of human life, Muslims and non Muslims alike.
— Mustaqeem Shah (@mmshah73) January 9, 2015
#JeSuisAhmed #IamAhmed pic.twitter.com/Tn1rofP2GT
— Soban Bashir (@BashyUK) January 8, 2015
I will willingly follow this man's example. #iamahmed
— Farhan Ahmed (@farhanahmed) January 8, 2015
A terrorist cannot be a real Muslim; a real Muslim cannot be a terrorist. #IamCharlie #IamAhmed #CharlieHebdo
— Yigit Asiye (@YigitAsiye) January 7, 2015
I am not Charlie, I am Ahmed the dead cop. Charlie ridiculed my faith and culture and I died defending. #IamAhmed pic.twitter.com/du225fCT16
— Efendi Ahmad Sanoeri (@EfendiAhmadS) January 9, 2015
#IAmAhmed - a Muslim cop died, too, during the #Parisattack these terrorists don't care about religion. They're driven by hatred and pride.
— NonoA (@NonoAbba) January 8, 2015
In the wake of the #CharlieHebdo atrocity, it is important to make the distinction between zealots and Muslims #IamAhmed #JeSuisCharlie
— Jenn Garrett (@SupaChupa) January 9, 2015
#IamAhmed created in honor of French Muslim cop Ahmed Merabat killed in #ParisShooting
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) January 8, 2015
Dear World, I'm not Charlie #IamAhmed the Muslim dead cop. Charlie ridiculed my faith and I died defending his right to do so. Regards.
— Sadat Younis (@sadat_younis) January 8, 2015
Who is paying tribute to #IamAhmed #CharlieHebdo .
— Saleem (@Sello786) January 8, 2015
Ahmed Merabet, French Muslim police He was killed outside #iamahmed #RespectForMuslims pic.twitter.com/igSmFgUqvO
— دانشور (@abdual61) January 8, 2015
Ponder ! #JeSuisAhmed #SkyPollNo pic.twitter.com/8aEyoMZf3l #IamCharlie #IamAhmed #paris ( R.I.P #AhmedMerabet )#JeSuisAhmed Please Retweet
— NedaAgain Irani (@NedaAgain) January 9, 2015
While every1 was tweeting #iamcharlie they forgot to tweet #iamahmed the muslim man who died trying to protect Charlie #stophate #spreadlove
— Shark Bait (@Yeahman_n) January 8, 2015
Annunciate your knowledge of Islam. Humans create violence, not religion. Islam is not extremism. Think of Ahmed. #IamAhmed #JeSuisCharlie
— Matt Olivier-Lovett (@LovettMj) January 9, 2015
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here