Movie Review: French comedy explores multicultural relationships

By Ines Kagubare

Qu’est ce qu’on a fait au bon dieu? (What Have We Done Good, God?) deals with the inevitable fact that the world is becoming a melting pot where mixed marriages are not uncommon. The film brings humor to complex issues like racial and religious stereotypes that are generally taboo in the movie industry.

The cast of Qu’est ce qu’on a fait au bon dieu? Courtesy of Wikipedia.

In director Philippe de Chauveron‘s 2014 film, The Verneuils are a white conservative Catholic French family who have four beautiful and lovely daughters. Three of them are married to non-white, non-Catholic men. Isabelle is married to Rachid Ben Assem, a Muslim lawyer of Algerian descent. Odile is married to David Benichou, a Jewish entrepreneur. The third daughter, Ségolène, is married to Chao Ling, a successful Chinese banker.

Frederic Chau, the actor who plays Chao Ling. Courtesy of Wikimedia.

Mr. and Mrs. Verneuil are obviously not delighted to have sons-in-law who aren’t Catholic and white, but they try to hide their disapproval. On one occasion, Ségolène invites the family over for dinner, hoping to ease tensions between her parents and the sons-in-law, but the reunion does not go as the daughters expect. Instead of getting to know each other better, both the parents and sons-in-law unleash their prejudices and stereotypes on one another, leading to a dispute that leaves the family in turmoil.

For a couple months after the disastrous family reunion, the Verneuils do not speak to their daughters, which limits their relationship with their grandchildren. The Verneuils, especially the dad, Claude, hope that their fourth daughter, Laure, will honor the family values and traditions by marrying a Frenchman who’s also white and Catholic. They even try to set up a date for Laure (without her knowledge) with a guy she barely knows. The date does not go as planned.

Laure makes an unexpected announcement that she’s been dating a guy who’s Catholic. This makes her parents very excited and relieved to know that one of their daughters will finally carry the family tradition. She intentionally omits a small detail. Laure and her family decide to meet at a restaurant where she introduces them to her boyfriend. While waiting for Laure and her mystery date to arrive, Claude makes a funny but snarky comment to his wife Marie, saying “they’re 10 minutes late, at least we know he’s not Chinese.”

To their surprise, Laure’s boyfriend Charles, is indeed a Catholic, but he is also black. Feeling disappointed and defeated, the Verneuils retreat to their estate in the French countryside. Claude withdraws himself and tries to stay away from his wife.

Noom Diawara who plays Charles. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Laure and Charles plan to get married in France. However, Charles’ parents back in the Ivory Coast are just as disappointed about the marriage as the Verneuils. Charles’s dad, André, is especially not fond of the idea because he’s not a fan of the French or white people. He blames the French for ruining African culture with their colonialism. Despite both families disapproving of the marriage at first, the wedding still goes on with minor hiccups along the way. The Verneuils learn how to be more tolerant of other cultures and find similarities with their new family members that bring them all closer together.

 

Global News Roundup: Dec. 21-Dec. 27

By Niki Kottmann

1. Iraqi Military Announces First Major Victory Over the Islamic State

American and Iraqi soldiers board a Marine Corps helicopter in Ramadi, Iraq in 2009. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

The U.S.-trained Iraqi army declared its first major victory over ISIS in 18 months on Sunday. Iraqi troops stormed the city of Ramadi on Dec. 22 in an attempt to drive out ISIS, which took control of the Sunni Muslim city in May. According to Reuters, the operation to recapture the city, which is about 60 miles west of Baghdad, began in early November, but progress was slow due to the government’s attempt to rely solely on its own troops. The alternative would be to use Shi’ite militias like it has in the past, but the government wants to avoid rights abuses that occurred after using outside militias previously. After weeks of encircling the city, troops made a final push Sunday and seized the central administrative complex. A U.S.-led coalition continues to wage an air campaign against ISIS in Iraq.  

2. Islamic State Releases Message Supposedly from Leader Al-Baghdadi

Mugshot of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by U.S. armed forces at Camp Bucca in 2004. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

A new audio message that is said to be from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was released Saturday saying that airstrikes by Russia and a U.S.-led coalition failed to weaken ISIS. According to Reuters, the authenticity of the message is in question because it was posted via Twitter accounts that have published ISIS statements in the past but have not been verified.

“Be confident that God will grant victory to those who worship him, and hear the good news that our state is doing well. The more intense the war against it, the purer it becomes and the tougher it gets,” says the voice in the audio recording, according to Reuters.

3. New Israeli Bill That Restricts Foreign-Funded Nonprofits Criticized

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, earlier this month,  rejected U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s comment that if the Palestinian government collapses, the Israeli government must govern the West Bank. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Critics say a new Israeli bill that was given preliminary approval by Israeli Cabinet ministers Sunday is meant to restrain groups that are critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy towards Palestinians. According to Al Jazeera, the bill was proposed by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and approved by a committee of ministers. The bill imposes restrictions on nonprofits that receive more than half of their funding from other countries. Critics of the bill mention that most nongovernmental groups that don’t agree with the Prime Minister are majorly dependent upon donations from European countries.

4. Pope Addresses Terrorism and the Migrant Crisis in Christmas Speech

Pope Francis, who shared his support Friday for non-extremist Muslims and others practicing their faith who are condemned because of extremism: “To our brothers and sisters, who in many parts of the world are being persecuted for their faith, may the child Jesus grant consolation and strength.” Courtesy of Wikipedia.

In his annual Christmas address Friday, Pope Francis called for worldwide peace and reconciliation. According to BBC, the Pope expressed his support for the recent United Nations resolutions for peace in Syria and Libya, saying he would pray for their success. He also condemned the violent acts that took place in France, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and Mali in the past year and praised countries that have welcomed Middle Eastern refugees past their borders. The Pope’s address came a week after the U.N. Security Council created a resolution to end the nearly five-year  war in Syria, proving to be both a breakthrough and a roadblock in peace negotiations since the fate of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and the classification of armed groups as terrorists are still highly contested.

5. Chicago Police Questioned After Fatally Shooting Two People

Location of West Garfield Park, a neighborhood where two fatal shootings occurred Saturday, within the city of Chicago. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Quintonio LeGrier, 19, and Bettie Jones, 55, were shot and killed by police in West Garfield Park on Saturday after officers responded to a domestic disturbance report. Authorities say that Jones, a mother of five, was shot by accident. According to the Chicago Tribune, the fatal shootings are the first to occur at the hands of Chicago police officers after a 2014 video was released last month of Laquan McDonald’s death, putting the city in national headlines as police shootings continue to be one of the most controversial topics in the U.S. After confirming that the woman’s death was an accident, the police department announced that officers involved in shootings will now have to be placed on administrative duty for 30 days following the instance. This is a big change for officers because the previous policy said that those involved in shootings must go off active duty for three days.

 

Global News Roundup Dec. 6-Dec.12

By Katie Johns

1. COP21 Climate Change Summit reaches deal to limit rise in global temperature

COP21 finally reached an agreement on climate change resolutions. Courtesy of Flickr.

On Saturday, nearly 200 countries reached a solution surrounding a global agreement on climate change. The goal of the environmental agreement is to reduce human-made greenhouse gas emissions. “A deal to attempt to limit the rise in global temperatures to less than 2C has been agreed at the climate change summit in Paris after two weeks of negotiations,” according to BBC reporting.

This is the first time all countries involved have joined the pact to cut carbon emissions, which is both partly voluntary and partly legally binding. The measures in the final draft include:

• Cap greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible
• Reach a balance between sources and sinks of greenhouse gases
• Review progress every five years
• Keep global temperature increase below 2C [ 3.6F]
• Budget $100 million per year in climate finance for developing countries.

This is not the first time a deal has been attempted. In 2009, talks of a climate agreement failed in Copenhagen. Some say the rumor of imposing emission targets on countries was one of the reasons the deal failed. The latest negotiations avoid this regulation.

2. Saudi women to legally vote for the first time

 

Saudi women walking in the Faysali shopping center. Some women have expressed still having barriers to voting and registering as candidates for political office. Courtesy of Flickr.

979 women candidates and 130,673 women voters registered for the Saudi Arabian municipal elections for the first time on December 12. In addition to being able to vote, women were also allowed to run for office in the nation’s elections. Some of these first-time voters reported a lack of registration centers and difficulties proving identities and residency, according to Human Rights Watch. Female candidates were also prohibited from talking with male voters and had to segregate in campaign offices. The elections will fill roles on local offices, which mostly oversee planning and development issues. 5,938 men ran for election and more than 1.3 million men registered to vote.

Officials first proposed the right for women to vote in 2005, and in 2011, King Abdullah issued a decree saying women would be allowed to vote and register as candidates in the municipal elections. In 2013, he demanded that 20 percent of the seats in the Consultative Council be reserved for women, CNN reports.

3. Donald Trump calls to end Muslim immigration to the U.S.

Donald Trump speaking at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year in Maryland. Courtesy of Wikimedia.

On Monday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump released a statement denouncing the admission of Muslim immigrants into the U.S.

He called for “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on,” The Atlantic reported. This statement comes shortly after President Obama’s plea for the nation to “reject discrimination” against Muslims. Trump’s proposal angered many, including fellow Republicans. Jeb Bush tweeted about Trump becoming “unhinged,” and Ted Cruz followed with a milder retort, simply saying that he did not share the same ideals as Trump.

Although he is not the only GOP candidate calling for Muslim immigration restrictions, he poses the most extreme limits. Both Cruz and Bush have suggested allowing only Christian refugees enter the U.S. Trump also stated that anyone belonging to the Muslim community should be considered a potential threat. The proposed ban would apply to more than just immigrants. Tourists and business travelers would be banned from the U.S. as well as Muslim-American citizens traveling out of the country who are trying to return home, Time reported.

4. Third Paris attacker identified

The Bataclan theater in Paris was the site of terrorist shootings in November. The third attacker was identified this week. Courtesy of Wikimedia.

This past week, authorities identified the third attacker of the Bataclan and Paris shootings. On Nov. 13, 2015, 90 people died during the attacks in the Bataclan in Paris, and the death toll rose to 130 as the attacks moved to the streets of the City of Lights. Previously, two attackers had been identified: Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29, and Samy Amimour, 28. Foued Mohamed Aggad, a 23-year-old man from Strasbourg, France, and a French army reject, was identified as one of the attackers through DNA testing. About two weeks ago, Aggad’s mother received an English text message saying that her son died as a martyr on Nov. 13, which a common way for ISIS to notify families of casualties. After receiving the text, she gave police a DNA sample, which showed that one of her sons was killed in the Bataclan. According to reporting from The Guardian, Aggad went to Syria with his brother and friends at the end of 2013. Most of Aggad’s friends and his brother, Karim, were arrested three months after their return to France. Two members of the group were killed. All three attackers involved in the November Paris attacks were killed, two by suicide vests and one by the police.

5.  At least 34 dead in Burundi capital following military attacks

A map of Burundi, an African country under much political tension. Recently, attacks have taken to the streets of the country’s capital, Bujumbura. Courtesy of Wikimedia.

At least 34 people were killed in Burundi overnight Friday. Most of the deceased bodies were found lain out in of the country’s capital, Bujumbura, after militia stormed the area with guns. Residents are accusing police of taking revenge after military sites were attacked Friday, killing at least 87 people, eight of whom were security forces. “Unrest has plagued Burundi since an attempted coup in May and protests over the president’s continued rule,” according to BBC reporting.

Police spokespeople say the victims killed were behind the attacks on government installations. Since April, at least 240 people have been killed, and 200,00 have fled to neighboring countries. Some are concerned that this violence is stirring a return of the violence seen during the Hutus and Tutsis tension. The catalyst of the protests began in April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his campaign for a third term in office.

 

Global News Roundup Nov. 16-21

By Shy Hardiman

1)   A hostage standoff at a hotel in the Malian capital of Bamako ended on Friday after several hours. At least 20 people are believed to be dead and more than 100 hostages were rescued, some of whom suffered injuries. The Blue Radisson hotel where the attack occurred is located in an opulent neighborhood of Bamako and frequented by foreign nationals and diplomats. No information has been released connecting this incident with the ISIS-led attack in Paris earlier in November.

2)   The suspected leader of last week’s Paris attacks is believed to have died during a police raid outside the French capital on Thursday. Extremist Abdelhamid Abaaoud’s death comes in the wake of several raids that police have been conducting in an effort to capture the terrorists responsible for the Paris attacks that killed 129 and left more than 350 wounded.

Pedestrians walk down a busy street in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris where alleged ISIS attack ringleader was killed. Courtesy of WIkipedia.

3)   32 people died and another 80 were injured in a blast at a market in Nigeria on Tuesday. The suspected perpetrators are terrorist organization Boko Haram who sparked international upset and the #BringBackOurGirls movement after claiming responsibility for the kidnapping of 273 Nigerian school girls last year.

4)   A newborn was declared Guinea’s last known Ebola case on Monday. More than 11,000 people have died since last year during the West African Ebola outbreaks. Doctors are monitoring the child—whose mother died of the disease—and anyone who recently came into contact with him. Sierra Leone and Liberia were declared Ebola free earlier this year.

President Obama. Courtesy of Flickr.

5)   On Thursday, after representatives from the White House announced that President Obama had plans to veto a bill being pushed by the GOP, the House passed it. The bill enforces intensive security screening for refugees immigrating from war-torn areas. Several Republicans across the nation have expressed concern that the terrorists involved in the Nov. 13 Paris attacks were allowed access into France because they were disguised as Syrian refugees.

6)   France carried an airstrike over a city in Syria on Sunday. The bombing came just two days after terrorist group ISIS attacked seven different locations in Paris. French authorities targeted the Syrian city of Raqqa because it’s home to a jihadi training camp and an ISIS munitions dump.

Week in Review: Global News Roundup for Nov. 9-Nov. 14

By Lily Cusack 

Beirut Bombings

On Thursday, two suicide bombings took place in Beirut, Lebanon. According to CNN, the bombs killed at least 43 people and injured another 239. The explosions took place within 490 feet of each other, and they each happened within five minutes. They damaged at least four buildings near the explosions. There were three attackers, but two of them died during the bombings. The third bomber told authorities they were ISIS recruits that had arrived from Syria two days prior to the incident. Authorities say the militants could be part of a cell that ISIS dispatched to Beirut. The explosions went off in an area where the Shiite militia has a solid presence. One of the attackers tried to enter a Shiite mosque, but was prevented by security. Friday was declared a day of mourning for Lebanon.

Thursday’s bombing attack took place in Beirut, Lebanon. Courtesy of Wikipedia.com.

Jihadi John

The Pentagon said on Thursday that they are “reasonably certain” that ISIS militant “Jihadi John” was killed during a drone strike in Syria, according to BBC News. Kuwaiti native and British militant Mohammed Emwazi, also known as “Jihadi John,” was seen in many videos of the massacres of ISIS hostages. The first video he appeared was of the murder of US journalist James Foley last August. He has also been a part of the videos showing the killings of U.S. journalist Steven Sotloff, British aid worker David Haines, British taxi driver Alan Henning, American aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig, and Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. He was also seen during the mass beheading of Syrian troops. Three drones, one British and two American, carried out the attack during routine attacks that have been performed against ISIS leaders since May.

Paris Terror Attacks

A series of terrorist attacks took place Friday night in Paris. According to The Telegraph, the seven coordinated attacks occurred in the center of the capital, killing at least 132 and injuring another 352. Seven militants, all wearing suicide vests, have been linked to the attacks. The first two explosions were located at the Stade de France during the first half of the France-Germany soccer match.

The explosions went off between 9:20 and 9:30 p.m., minutes apart from each other. The explosions killed one person along with the two militants that detonated their suicide vests. French President François Hollande was in the crowd watching the match, and he was promptly escorted out of the stadium. At 9:25 p.m., gunmen opened fire on Petit Cambodge Cambodian restaurant and Le Carillon bar on Rue Bichet, about four miles from the stadium. Fifteen people died in the attack. The same gunman then drove to Rue de la Fontaine au Roi where they killed at least five at Casa Nostra pizzeria. The fifth attack happened on Rue de Charonne at La Belle Equipe bar at 9:40 p.m. where at least 19 people died. The militant detonated his suicide vest around the corner from the bar on Boulevard Voltaire. At around 9:50 p.m., three militants entered the Bataclan concert venue on Boulevard Voltaire, about a mile away from the restaurant shootings, where the U.S. rock group Eagles of Death Metal was performing to a full house of 1,500 people. The gunmen were brandishing AK-47 rifles and suicide vests.

The siege lasted two hours and 40 minutes as they held the venue hostage. Anti-terror police ended the hostage crisis at around 12:30 a.m. Two of the militants detonated their vests, and the police shot one. The death toll rose to 89. The last attack took place at around 10 p.m. where a militant detonated his vest near the Stade de France outside of a McDonald’s restaurant. One person was seriously injured.

Myanmar General Election

Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were declared victorious on Friday after the votes were tallied for the Myanmar general election. The party won a majority of seats in parliament, with 348 seats across the lower and upper houses, according to The Guardian. This is 19 more seats required for an absolute majority. The victory for Suu Kyi marked the end of a half a century of military dominance in the country. Although Suu Kyi is banned from presidency due to the country’s constitution, the NLD will be able to push their own legislation, form a government and pick a president of their choosing. This administration will be the first government since 1960 not picked by the military and their political allies. The current government officials have accepted their defeat, and say they are willing to work on handing their power over peacefully. Army generals still control the most powerful aspects of government: interior, defense and border undertakings.   

Aung San Suu Kyi, National League for Democracy part leader. Courtesy of Wikipedia.com.

Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami

An earthquake and a tsunami occurred off the coast of Japan early Saturday morning. According to IB Times, the earthquake was a 7.0 magnitude, and its epicenter was just under 100 miles southwest of the town of Makurazaki, occurring at a depth of about 6 miles. A one-foot tsunami hit the Japanese island of Nakanoshima as a result of the earthquake. However, there were no reports of damages or injuries. The Japanese Met Agency announced a tsunami advisory, but it was canceled after an hour and a half.

 

Scores of People Die in Paris Terrorist Attack

By Shy Hardiman and Niki Kottmann

Reports say that at least 128 people died in six different Paris locations after ISIS suicide bombers and shooters attacked the French capital on Nov. 13.

“I got the news about the attacks because I got a cellphone alert of BBC saying that there have been attacks,”  says Santiago Martinez, an exchange student from Mexico studying at Sciences Po de Paris. Martinez studied alongside Mizzou exchange students in Reims, France last spring.

Martinez was at a bar not too far away from some of the incidents when he and his friends were instructed to stay put because it was not safe outside. They were  eventually escorted to safety by locals using #porteouverte to offer those in danger, rides and refuge.

TIME and other news outlets used the hashtag when tweeting about their coverage of the tragedy on Friday. Photo Courtesy of @TIME.

On Nov. 14, the French interior minister issued a statement saying that France is under a state of emergency, which could add strict measures to France’s border control.

Martinez says that there have been large search parties created to look for more victims, and that he and other students are still not sure if their classes will be resumed due to safety precautions.

ISIS or ISIL as they are also commonly referred to is the terrorist group who is responsible for the public beheading videos of journalists from all over the world. On the same day as the Paris attack, a US drone strike aimed at Jihadi John, the man in the now infamous beheading videos, is believed to have killed him and other members of the organization, although, no reports have been issued by ISIS or French authorities stating that the Nov. 13 Paris attacks are an act of terrorist retaliation.

“I am afraid about the reaction,” Martinez says. “On one hand, they are keeping the people informed, having massive search parties and a shitload of security. They have a good response in the sense that it is a reaction. However, it is so complicated to try to prevent these kinds of attacks.”

Martinez is concerned with the large amount of coverage regarding the response of the US and UK expressing condolences for France in comparison to the little coverage and lack of response to the attacks that took place in Beirut earlier this week.

“…meanwhile, people have died, and not just here in Paris, but in Beirut, yet no media coverage nor high-profile statements were made for them,” Martinez says.

The Beirut attack that Martinez is referring to was a double suicide bombing that occurred on Thursday, Nov. 12 and killed 43 people in a predominantly Shiite region of southern Beirut. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Aside from the dozens of fatalities in the Paris attacks, there were also 180 people injured during the attacks. Nearly 200 were wounded in Beirut.

“It has been a deep wound as humanity,” Martinez says.

***

Putting Everything in Perspective

The six locations where the Paris attacks occurred:

1. Stade de France, where a France v Germany soccer game was being played.
2. At the Bataclan, a concert hall where American rock band, Eagles of Death Metal, were playing.
3. Other locations include restaurants and bars near the theater.

Recent violence in France

This attack comes just 10 months after the terrorist attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January.

12 people were killed in the attack on the magazine as well as another four in a standoff during a grocery store shooting. All three assailants responsible for the attacks, including two brothers who said the attack was because the magazine mocked the prophet Mohammed, were killed by police.

Global Perspectives: From the Champagne Region to Columbia

Comfort, Vulnerability and Discovery

By Louise Hemmerlé

As I flew to the United States from France, my plane cruised over the white immensity of Greenland. Below me, the ice sheet was stretching as far as my eyes could see. I could not see any relief below me; it was just pure, endless whiteness. This dream-like landscape was an encapsulation of what this flight meant for me: a blank page, one on which I could choose what to write.

Of course, as I contemplated the prospect of this new beginning from a few thousand feet above ground, a disorienting sense of vertigo started creeping in. “It is the first time,” I thought to myself, “that you are going to be completely alone.”

Louise at her home university, Sciences Po Campus de Reims, with members of a student group called RIMUN. RIMUN stands for Reims International Model of United Nations, a group that puts on an annual conference for all seven Sciences Po campuses. Photo courtesy of Louise Hemmerlé.

As I wrapped my mind around this vulnerability, I felt empowered — more empowered, actually, than I had ever felt before. An infinity of possibilities had been presented to me, and each one of them was synonymous with change and discovery.

Back home, most of the students in my small cohort and I had everything in common. A large portion of us came from the same socioeconomic background, had lived abroad, and we were all interested in studying the same topics. I am not going to lie; it was great. I was completely in my element. I felt like I had found my place. It was so comfortable that I did not question that place for one second.

Louise takes a walk through Lowry Mall. Although the MU campus is immensely larger than the single building where her French university is housed, she says she likes being out of her comfort zone amongst thousands of students as opposed to a few hundred. Photo by Evan Cobb.

On the contrary, when I arrived at the University of Missouri, I felt at first like a tiny fish lost at sea. This ocean of MU students came with a lot of surprises of course, from the yoga pants trend to the constant amiability and positivity of everyone I met.

Pushing myself out of my comfort zone was certainly unsettling, but it was the only way to discover something new, to learn and to grow.

Extricating yourself from the little bubble you live in is difficult, and the number of miles you travel will not necessarily make the difference that you need. Take me for instance: I traveled 4,600 miles to come here, and still, I immediately gravitated around the French or other European students I met.

Louise studying at Ellis Library. Although she was nervous to begin classes at MU, she says she’s come to appreciate the university and its vastly different student culture. Photo by Evan Cobb.

What we are familiar with attracts us like magnets. This means that it takes a constant effort not to shy away from the unknown. Instead, we should systematically try to replace our apprehension and face the unfamiliar with curiosity.

This observation is not only valid for people who, like me, are thrown into a different country, but also for anyone to explore the immense diversity of his or her daily environment.

As a student at MU, indeed, you do not need to leave campus if you wish to discover something new. You have a pool of more than 35,000 students to learn from. Some come from other states, some from other countries, but all have a rich background, a history of their own that makes them unique. Trying to be more adaptable to these various points of view bears the promise of understanding others better.

Studying in an environment with such opportunities is a rare privilege  that will require accepting one’s own ignorance and vulnerability, but what you gain on the other end makes it completely worth it.

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.

Charlie Hebdo panel raises the question: Just because you can say it, should you?

Nous Sommes Tous Charlie Symposium

By Amanda Nero

The Charlie Hebdo attack was the topic of discussion at the Nous Sommes Tous Charlie symposium at MU on Jan. 3.

MU Professor Sandra Davidson talks about free speech at the Nous Sommes Charlie symposium on Jan. 3. Photo cred: Olivia Paggiarino.

The symposium opened up talks about freedom of speech, hateful speech, and speech permitted by the law. The discussion was led by a panel of MU Professor Sandra Davidson, political cartoonist and author Khalil Bendib, and director of the Ethical Journalism Network Aidan White.

Political cartoonist and author Khalil Bendib speaks at the Nous Sommes Tous Charlie symposium on Jan. 3. Photo cred: Olivia Paggiarino.

Gunmen Cherif and Said Kouachi walked into the Charlie Hebdo office and proceeded to shoot resulting in the death of 12 people on Jan. 7. The attack was in retaliation for the  cartoons about Islam that the satirical magazine previously ran.

A political cartoon from Khalil Bendib’s website displayed at the Nous Sommes Tous Charlie symposium on Jan. 3. Photo cred: Olivia Paggiarino

The track record of Charlie Hebdo publishing culturally offensive content was discussed. Both White and Bendib debated if and where the publication should have drawn the red line.

It was unanimous that acts of terror like this are always unjustifiable, but agreement on when it becomes a hate crime to publish belligerent commentaries about other groups remained gray.

By the end of the discussion all the panelists related the Charlie Hebdo story to numerous freedom of expression examples from around the world.

Read more

Related articles: Letter from the Editor

Letter from the Editor

By Co-Editor-in-Chief Niki Kottmann

Today is a bittersweet day for me.

I’m excited to write my first “Letter from the Editor (Abroad)” editorial, but it isn’t going to be the I’m-About-to-Leave-for-France-and-This-Is-Gonna-Be-Wicked-Awesome post that I was initially anticipating.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Paris and the surrounding region was the location of multiple acts of violence this week. 12 people were shot and killed in the office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo Wednesday and a police officer in the southern Montrouge area of Paris was killed Thursday.

This morning, American media outlets reported on two hostage situations related to the Wednesday shooting. One situation was just outside of Paris in Dammartin-en-Goele where the two Charlie Hebdo shooting suspects, Said and Cherif Kouachi, were holding a printing press owner hostage in his factory. The other involved the suspect of the Thursday police officer killing, Amedy Coulibaly, who held multiple people hostage in a kosher grocery store on the eastern side of Paris.

It was confirmed late this morning that all three of the aforementioned suspects were killed by French authorities. The hostage at the printing press was freed as well as those at the grocery store, but French president Francois Hollande just announced that four people were killed in the store siege.

French authorities are now searching for Coulibaly’s alleged accomplice, Hayat Boumeddiene, who is the only remaining suspect. Police union spokesman Pascal Disant believes that she may have escaped the scene of the supermarket siege.

Now, back to my main point: On Wednesday, I’m moving to Reims, France to study abroad for the semester. Needless to say, this is a news story that I’ve been following very closely.

“Are you worried about how safe France is now?”

This is one of the many questions I’ve been asked in regards to how I’m feeling about the situation in France, and frankly, I’m not really scared. A natural first reaction to a situation like this is fear, so of course it was incredibly unsettling at first. However, especially after all they’ve done today, I have faith in the French authorities and their ability to control the situation. And honestly, I’m even more excited to get over there now than I was before these attacks happened.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly saddened by the devastation that these events have brought upon the lives of innocent people. The family and friends of these victims will never get the closure they’re probably craving because, as Jon Stewart said in his opening monologue Wednesday night, “there is no sense to be made of this.” The reason why my fear has been replaced with increased excitement is that I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud to be a journalism student, and now is such a fascinating time to be a journalism student in France.

This graphic is now the most recognizable symbol of support for the magazine post-attack.

 

Before I go on a passionate rant, I want to make one thing clear: I struggle with voicing my opinion on this topic because my feelings about Charlie Hebdo as a publication are mixed. No, I’m not a fan of the cartoons that they published with satirical renditions of the Prophet Mohammed. As a journalism student, I’m taught to treat all subjects fairly and tastefully, and many of their cartoons go against the values I’ve developed in school, both related to and not related to journalism.

However, my opinion about the content of the magazine doesn’t really matter because I believe in freedom of speech, even speech that I don’t agree with. I was born and raised on this concept, the idea that as I writer, I can record and share my opinions without living in fear of repercussion. I don’t particularly enjoy reading editorials or other pieces of writing that I would consider prejudiced or offensive, but I have to respect them because I believe that everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, and refusing to hear another’s viewpoint is elitist and ignorant.

When I saw pictures of the swarms of French demonstrators standing proud in the streets of Paris (and across the world, for that matter), pens and pencils in the air, I felt more inspired than I ever have throughout my two and a half years in journalism school. I don’t know if I would consider the staff of Charlie Hebdo journalists, but there is no doubt in my mind that they were writers, cartoonists, satirists and just plain human beings whose actions didn’t warrant murder.

What matters right now is that there’s a serious problem with not only terrorist attacks against freedom of speech, but French law that criminalizes certain kinds of speech. As Jonathan Turley wrote in the Washington Post, the French government is more of a threat than terrorists in this regard.

“…if the French want to memorialize those killed at Charlie Hebdo, they could start by rescinding their laws criminalizing speech that insults, defames or incites hatred, discrimination or violence on the basis of religion, race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, sex or sexual orientation,” Turley wrote.

Charlie Hebdo was threatened many times under these laws, and their refusal to give up is what helps me believe that freedom of speech is something worth fighting for. As France continues to impose restrictions on journalists, I’m excited to live and learn in a country that’s going through such a historical period. These attacks were horrific, but the one light at the end of the tunnel is that these events sparked a conversation that is incredibly necessary in France right now.

Just as the protestors’ sign in central Paris read, I’m not afraid. Even though I’ll be 89 miles from the site of these attacks, in the hometown of one of the suspected shooters, I’m excited to be a journalism exchange student living in a culture at a huge turning point in the history of journalism and free speech.