In Paris on the 7th January 2015, two terrorist stormed the office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people, including two police officers. The attack shocked the world and unlike the Sydney Siege that brought Australians together with #illridewithyou I expect this event to increase the divide between Muslims and Western society, not just in France but across the globe.
When I first heard about the news I had no idea who (or what it turns out) Charlie Hebdo was and so my first reaction was to learn as much as I could about them, their history, their views and the cartoons of Mohammad that had triggered such a violent reaction.
What I found was a proudly defiant publication that revelled in lampooning all faith. Their humour is a little extreme and frankly rather racist for my taste but overall I firmly share their view that society should be dominated by secularism. What I really disagree with is their constant provocation of Islam. I can't help but wonder what they were hoping to achieve.
To me, good satire encourages a new interpretation of its target and creates a positive change by opening dialogue. I don't see that it the Mohammad Cartoons of Charlie Hebdo, it seemed to just mock Islam for the sake of mocking them. When a comic does that, it's not satire, it's slander and it does nothing positive for the world. Instead it alienates and divides, fuelling the fires of hate.
It is arrogant to expect everyone to play by your rule. The Mohammad cartoons might get a laugh out of most french people but it is deeply offensive to Muslims. I can't speak on behalf of all Muslims but when you're already vilified, victimised and discriminated against, having your most sacred belief mocked isn't going to make you more reflective and open to change, it's going to make you more defensive, maybe ashamed, maybe even psychopathically aggressive.
Should Charlie Hebdo have known better?
In 2005 a series of Danish Cartoons depicting Mohammad triggered a massive wave of protests in many Muslim country, resulting in 250 deaths and hundreds more wounded.
So knowing the potential damage that can be done, Charlie Hebdo starts mocking Mohammad anyway and in November 2011 Charlie Hebdo themselves had their office firebombed by Muslim extremist in retaliation.
Their reaction to this was to keep producing more Mohammed cartoons.
Defiance in the face of oppression is admirable but I have to question whether they (or anyone else in France) were really oppressed by radical Islam. Many French are proudly Secularist and Charlie Hebdo is very representative of that. It is completely understandable then that they would become increasingly concern at the growing number of conservative muslims in their cities, particularly as the economy worsen and refugee numbers continue to increase (not that the two have anything to do with each other). It is very telling that the average French person believes the Muslim population of France to be around 31% when it is actually only 7.7% (More facts here).
I value free speech but against this backdrop of increasing tension perhaps social harmony is far more important. It's a matter of ego verses the greater good. If the cartoons were doing something positive for the Muslim community in France I would whole heartedly support them. I notice that their more recent cartoons focuses on ISIS which in isolation would have been great but this was an enemy they did not respect and they paid the price for it.
I am so very conscious of victim blaming here, the staff of Charlie Hebdo didn't die because they mocked Mohammed or ISIS, they died because three young Jihadist carried out a carefully planned attack. Worst still, this tragedy will potentially trigger a wave of reprisals both personal and legislative which will only serve to further alienate Muslims and create more Extremists on both sides.
And that's exactly what the terrorists wants. They want hatred to grow, it swells their numbers and broadens their reach. We are all going to pay for the free speech Charlie Hebdo so vehemently advocated.
There is one glimmer of hope though, in the wake of their deaths many Muslim leaders have condemned the attack and many Muslims have express their anger over social media with sentiments that suggests they may be a more tolerant attitude towards satire against Islam in the future. Let's hope that's the case. As much as I will defend Muslims, it is for the people and not the religion itself, which needs to continue to evolve to be more compatible with the modern world, just like other major religions.
This has been the opinion of just one buddhist, below are links to some great articles concerning this event
By the New Yorker
By Huffington Post
Some artistic responses to this tragedy
By the New York Times
By the Guardian
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