Being Charlie 10

Very soon after the Paris attack on Wednesday last week, Muslims in Europe were already feeling the backlash from it.  This also made many to call for insight and calmness.

The United Nations Human Rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein said at a ceremony in Geneva on Friday Islam was not responsible for the shooting of 12 people.

“We need a moment of calm now, we do not need retaliation. Neither Islam nor multiculturalism in Europe is to blame for the bloody attack two mornings ago, as some right-wing political leaders have already begun to say.”

His comments come as some far right wing groups in Europe have already begun to link the attacks to multiculturalism policies.

Nigel Farage, the leader of the right wing political party UKIP, made it not easier by saying

“having a fifth column living within these countries.”

In any case if there is a sense of fear and concern at least amongst the Muslim mainstream that the atrocities in Paris will very negatively impact not simply on the image of Muslim communities but their very position in various European societies, many Muslims were not afraid to let the fundamentalist see that they do not agree with their actions and that do not mind living in a multicultural society.

When thousands of people marched through Brussels in solidarity with France following Islamic attacks on Charlie Hebdo and other sites the French-language newspapers Le Soir and La Dernière heure their offices in Brussels and Charleroi had to be evacuated because of a bomb alert. Also a German tabloid that reprinted the cartoons was fire bombed on Sunday.

After what we could call a beautiful mobilisation on Sunday: people from all religions, from all origins, of all colours from across France gathering in support of the victims’ families” – we could see the hunger and ‘joy’ of others taking advantages of the misery of some people.

After people gathered to show unity, to refuse terror and to prevent terrorists from dividing us, because that is what they are searching for, the streets of France and Belgium saw people looking for. Not being cold yet several people thought it an occasion to get a ‘trophy’ in their hands which was made on the blood of satirists and people who wanted to defend our freedom.

Both the French Council of the Islamic Faith (French: Conseil Français du Culte Musulman – CFCM), representative of the Islamic community in France, and the Union of the Islamic Organisations of France (French: Union des Organisations Islamiques de France – UOIF) had called upon fellow Muslims to join the marches, which they did.  Various anti-racist organizations as well as authorities within the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities joined together in the march.

Europeans let the world see that it is possible that people of several beliefs-groups can come together and feel united.

Make humour not war

After so many people showed the world that freedom is the freedom of expression and the freedom to worship and that we do aspire to live in peace, there were again people who thought it useful to provoke again.

What was expected proved to come through already very early in the morning of Wednesday the 14th of January, seven days after the attacks trying to silence the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Perhaps the jihad fighters did not think beforehand that their action could result in free advertisement for a magazine which was not so liked by many French and received always a lot of controversy. By their deathly act they assured that the popularity of the much hated magazine only got bigger. Very fast in the morning the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was already sold out in France, after appearing for the first time since Islamist gunmen massacred 12 people at its offices.

After the attack several companies, a.o. Google came to financial help to the publishing company. The front cover of the magazine – which had an initial print run of three million – depicts a weeping Prophet Mohammed holding a sign saying “Je Suis Charlie“, the slogan taken up by supporters since the attack a week ago, under the banner “All Is Forgiven”. About 3 million copies of the magazine – which normally has a circulation of 60,000 – were printed. About the depiction of whom many see the prophet Muhammad you may naturally question who knows the prophet looked like. Who can really tell it is a drawing of the prophet and how can that person know the prophet looked like that?

Despite warnings that the image could provoke further attacks by extremists, and Belgian shops having received warnings from Muslim fundamentalist if they were going to sell the magazine they would have to bear the consequences and could face fire- or other bombs, queues formed at news stands in the French capital from 6am and at some the issue sold out before 8am.

Charlie Hebdo distributors have since confirmed that figure will be boosted to five million copies to meet demand.

Richard Malka told French radio:

“We will not back down, otherwise none of this has any meaning.

“If you hold the banner ‘I am Charlie’, that means you have the right to blaspheme, you have the right to criticise my religion.”

Explaining the cartoon he has drawn for today’s edition, Renald “Luz” Luzier:

“We are cartoonists and we like drawing little characters, just as we were as children.

“The terrorists, they were kids, they drew just like we did, just like all children do. At one point they lost their sense of humour. At one point they lost the soul of their child which allowed them to look at the world with a certain distance.

“I’m sorry we’ve drawn him yet again but the Mohammed we’ve drawn is a man who is crying.”

There has been no official reaction from the French government on the new edition.

People without scruples and criminals also made use of it and presented copies on the ebay auction site were people incredibly were willing to bid up to £1,550. Back issues of the magazine had already been selling for inflated prices across the Channel following last week’s massacre.

Reporters Without Borders, a leading media watchdog group, blasted sellers looking to cash in on the huge demand for the magazine, condemning “reprehensible” profiteering off of last week’s attack on the magazine’s Paris office, which left 12 dead.

Bids on Charlie Hebdo

The edition’s lead editorial said:

“For the past week, Charlie, an atheist newspaper, has achieved more miracles than all the saints and prophets combined.

“The one we are most proud of is that you have in your hands the newspaper that we always made.”

It also features a joke about the bells of Notre Dame cathedral ringing out for its murdered satirists, as well as jibes at the terrorists who killed them.

Profits from the “survivors’ issue” will go to the families of victims of the shooting.

The huge level of interest in today’s edition has prompted more than 50 British Muslim leaders to appeal for calm from the Islamic community in response to its front page cartoon.

Former head of British Security Service (MI5) Jonathan Evans has warmed that the cartoon would definitely provoke fresh terrorist attacks.

The top Islamic authority in Egypt, Dar al-Ifta, also lashed out at the French satirical magazine over the provocative cartoon in its special edition.

“This action is an unjustified provocation against the feelings of 1.5 billion Muslims,”

it said in a statement on Tuesday.

In an open letter, the imams and religious leaders wrote:

“With dignified nobility we must be restrained, as the Koran says ‘And when the ignorant speak to them, they say words of peace’.

“Most Muslims will inevitably be hurt, offended and upset by the republication of the cartoons. But our reaction must be a reflection of the teachings of the gentle and merciful character of the prophet (peace be upon him).

“Enduring patience, tolerance, gentleness and mercy, as was the character of our beloved prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the best and immediate way to respond.”

Joshua Riddle of the U.S.A. Young conservatives does find this “The most powerful cartoon you will see about “Radical Muslims” and “Radical Christians””

Make humour not war

2015 January 15, Two of Charlie Hebdo’s best-known cartoonists were to be buried as the “reborn” satirical magazine flew off the shelves but sparked fury in some parts of the Muslim world for depicting the Prophet Mohammed.

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Preceding articles:

Being Charlie 1

Being Charlie 2

Being Charlie 3

Being Charlie 4

Being Charlie 5

Being Charlie 6

Being Charlie 7

Being Charlie 8

Being Charlie 9

It’s beautiful to watch the spread of #JeSuisCharlie across the world

Where do we stand in the backdrop of Charlie Hebdo Massacre ?

Charlie Hebdo, offensive satire and why ‘Freedom of Speech’ needs more discussion

ISIL will find no safe haven

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‘Reborn’ Charlie Hebdo buries its dead

Charlie Hebdo Sells Out At Newsstands In Paris

Charlie Hebdo: Live updates as magazine is published for the first time since terror attack

Dieudonne Held Over Charlie Hebdo Facebook Post

Charlie Hebdo: is nothing sacred?

Insulting and provocative’: how the world reacted to Charlie Hebdo’s Prophet Mohammed cover

Europe and much-vaunted bastions of multiculturalism becoming No God Zones

East London café threatened for placing Je Suis Charlie sign outside

New Charlie Hebdo Cover Creates New Questions for U.S. News Media

Iran’s press blames French Government for the Paris massacre

Iran condemns terrorism as well as Charlie Hebdo cover

Iran condemns ‘provocative’ new Charlie Hebdo cartoon

Profiteers look to capitalize on Charlie Hebdo attack, selling new issue for thousands of dollars

Belgian paper that ran Charlie cartoons evacuated after threat – police

Charlie Hebdo: new cover featuring Prophet Mohammed launched – as it happened January 14

Kelvin MacKenzie berates Islamic apologists in new Sun column

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