The Discussion about Charlie Hebdo Isn’t Dead Yet

By Ines Kagubare

Although an international community has rallied around Charlie Hebdo magazine following the attack at its office that left 12 people dead, not all are in solidarity with its satirical methods.

The Charlie Hebdo attack that occured in Paris on January 7, 2015 spurred a wave of international demonstrations that were held in memory of the cartoonists who were killed. Several world leaders went to Paris to give their condolences and support to the French president, François Hollande, and his citizens.

The movement brought about 3.7 million people who gathered in Paris with “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) signs to not only pay their respects to the victims but to also show their support of the magazine. They felt that the attack was a direct threat to their freedom of speech and expression. Still, some have expressed that the satirical magazine is very provocative and offensive, especially to the Muslim community.

Since the attack, there have been heated debates about where the line should be drawn in freedom of speech and who should make that decision. Well, the answer is complicated because it’s not a black or white issue. It requires a deep analysis of both sides of the issue. We have to look at the underlying factors of the issue in order to come to a somewhat fair conclusion.

Some argue that the satirical magazine was within its rights to use its freedom of speech to express its views even if it might be provocative and offensive to some people. They believe that’s the whole premise of freedom of speech. Some people are going to disagree and actually be offended by their views or comments but as long as they express them in a non-violent way it should be fine. On the other hand, others argue that the satirical magazine was portraying Muslims with negative stereotypes, which in the long run could be destructive to the Muslim community living in Europe. Some people even called the magazine islamophobic and disrespectful to the Muslim faith.

Whichever way people choose to interpret this issue, they should always examine all sides of the matter before coming to a conclusion since there’s no easy solution to it.

I’ll leave you with my final thoughts about this issue, which is although I strongly believe in freedom of speech, I also believe that as civil human beings we should be respectful and considerate of other people’s faith and culture.