Masked gunmen killed yesterday at least 12 people at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The magazine is widely known for mocking all religions and religious figures such as the Prophet Mohammed and has received threats on several occasions. As a result of the attack, Charlie Hebdo’s editor Mr Charbonnier (Known as Chab) was killed along with renowned cartoonist Cabu, Wolinski and Tignous.
Personally speaking, I strongly condemn the terrorist attack as I believe freedom of speech is more important than anyone’s feelings and killing someone over a cartoon is sick and disturbing. However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t find Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons offensive and provocative. These are two different things that shouldn’t be mixed together and nothing justifies the carnage that took place yesterday.
If we take Lebanon for example, it is illegal by law to mess with any religion and a magazine like Charlie Hebdo wouldn’t be allowed to open in the first place, but under the French law, they are allowed to whether we like it or not. Therefore, Charlie Hebdo is free to mock all religions just like we are free to criticize their cartoons but no one, under any circumstances, should be killed over a cartoon.
All in all, freedom of speech cannot be killed and what happened yesterday will only make it stronger.
PS: I already wrote an article on the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy that took place back in 2005. Check it out [here].
Excellent points ! It is a dangerous slippery slope to silence freedom of speech, regardless of whether you are for or against the message.
France has sections of its country where the police dare not enter and the government has not control as it is run by Sharia law. It is unbelievable to think that people leave their countries of origin for freedoms provided in Europe yet they have an agenda to dominate and control the law as they see fit. Makes you wonder, was the intention of leaving one’s country truly to gain these freedoms or is it because they have a political/ religious agenda in mind to fulfill outside their countries of origin ?
The proof is in the pudding.
I share the sentiment of the editor and I condemn killing of innocent people no matter what. However, I’m trying to answer Najib’s question. We obviously cannot ban anyone from mocking religion/religious figures; however as there are certain norms governing the use of inappropriate language on TV, the use of certain offensive terms (such as nigger in the US), mocking LGBT, etc… this norm ought to include religious beliefs out of respect to others.
The USA allows mockery of the Gays and Lesbians as well as Black /White people ; there are many legal websites and organizations to such causes, such as white supremacists groups which are allowed to exist under the law. However, in a public forum such as television, people try to be politically correct or sensitive as a courtesy, while others feel otherwise. There are TV channels and programs which condemn gays and Lesbians and or other religions : they have the right to exist as well.
The criticizing of any religion, Christianity or Islam or Wicca, should never be silenced in a free society such as USA. There are many groups who poke fun at Christianity in the USA, as a Christian, I may not like it, but I support their right to exist.
Freedom of speech should never be silenced.
I’m against whats happening in middle east and arab countries and isis but in this case i’m happy about what happened because religion is not something that we can laugh about
enou ana 5le2et kermel e3bad allah akid iza 7ada tmas5ar 3leh bedi jareb wa2fo !!
W yali bi 7eb dinou bi oul hek la2an iza sheftou el caricatures yali n3amalet ma7ada bye2bala and it’s religion not political like in lebanon when they made laught about hassan nassralla w 5erbet el dene
w enou metou 10 bi france 5erbet el dene ma france hiye men waraha 3am ymoutou 2louf el 3arab w entou mankon 7essin bel mawdou3
i’m not terrorist but i can’t accept someone that laugh about my religion
they are free to not be muslim and not to have religion but why the come to me and not respect me and wait for nothing
every action have a reaction
sorry for my bad english
Btw Rihanna seems to understand here is her reply on her instagram for what happened and i agree with her :
I am against every kind of abuse. Physical abuse or Verbal abuse. If you all want peace, then you all should stop joking about sensitive topics. You have your religion, I have mine. Of course people has the liberty of freedom, but wouldn’t you be offendes and hurt if you werw a christian and they’d joke about your god? Or a jew and they’d mock the way you believe in God?
I absolutely am horrified and devastated about what happened. But you all shall stop blaming Islam on it.
Islam is a religion of peace, love and faith. It isn’t about violence. The prophet Mohammed was living for spreading love and compassion and not for killing people. Even in the holy Quran it is written “You shall have your religion and I shall have mine” everyone is free to believe in everything they want. So, stop judging, start helping! And RIP to those who were killed
Religion or anything else should not be out of bounds of freedom of speech. If you think Islam is so weak that it cannot withstand a satirical peace in Paris; well shut it brother! Enough of this BS about mine or your religions. Freedom of speech is one of the main pillars of the democratic world. Some countries have specific laws regarding certain hate dissemination cases…They are treated accordingly!
They crucified Jesus Christ, but those who believe in Jesus Christ do not murder so they can avenge his death.
The innocents people who died by the hands of these barbarians had also critiqued Christianity as well as other religions, but the believers of Jesus did not set out to murder them.
People have the right to criticize any religion they choose, Europe and the USA have freedom of the press. It’s obvious that many people in the middle east cannot comprehend this type of freedom as it is non existent in their region. However, the beauty of Europe and the USA is that these freedoms exist. If people are offended, they have the option of living in other countries with similar mentalities, I. E. Their country of origin.
Entou el sha3eb el lebneni mafi aktar meno bi bayed wej
w ma brefhamou ela li me2ten3in fi
t5ayal ana rsamet em 7ada menkon bala tyeb w 3am etmas5ar 3laya w nezalta bel majale w elet haydi em flen eh chou bta3mel enta bi hal 7ale iza kenet 3am etmas5ar 3a emak akid bedak ta3mel kelshi la twa2efni w bte2telni kamen eh hene 3am yetmas5aro 3a nabi li houwe aham men ahelna 3and el eslem fa haydi radet fe3el 3a yali sar
Hi Boudz, if someone drew my mother naked and published it in a newspaper, what I would do is draw his mother naked and publish it in another newspaper… but that would be childish no? What would be better as a response, being a grown up, I would simply neglect him… you know this is something you learn at a very young age, try repeating the same word someone else is saying in front of you, if he starts to get annoyed you will start to enjoy it, if he does nothing and looks at you with a pitiful smile, you’d repeat it a couple of times then stop because then, and only then, you’d realize how stupid you are…
What you are saying cannot be applied on this story because you cant neglet someone mocking about religion and the idea that keep someone repeating the mocking and be happy until he is bored can be applied if there are 2 person not all the society
if you are in class and someone mock at you and all class laugh at you you wouldn’t smile because if you smile you’de realise how stupid you are…
Hi Boudz, I probably shouldn’t have added that smiling thing in my previous comment since it seems you based your reply on it; let’s say you don’t smile, you just don’t look at him and consider him not there.
🙂
In a civil western free society people criticize and protest freely, however, they are not allowed to take the law into their owns hands and decide to kill to silence the criticism. This is also silencing freedoms and it will never be accepted as means to quiet or counter the criticism. All religions are equally subject to criticism including Islam.
well said !