Salamun alaikum:
I sincerely condemn the atrocities (violence and killing) conducted at CH office and Kosher Supermarket. May Allah condemn the ones who caused or initiated the menace for their act of repression (kufr) of faith in Him. And may Allah help us all against the faith repressing people.
Saying so ? no amount of atrocities could be or should be used as a ground to justify / glorify or even signify the tasteless publications of CH that caused the provocation (fitnah) in the first place.
Imagine a satire magazine publishing cartoons glorifying the Holocaust events to condemn atrocities or Israel, or publishing a cartoon of Gandhi raping a Japanese tourist girl to symbolically protest against the events in India, or publish cartoon glorifying the Hiroshima / Nagasaki bombing OR 9/11 bombing ? just to show nothing is above humor ? what do you think would be the reaction of the Global media that is vocal about Freedom of Press today?
The Western press has lost its sensitivity to religion and religious figures, so to them if I can make fun of Jesus, I can make fun of Muhammad, so what is the big deal? The big deal is that your area of sensitivity is not same as someone else?s area of sensitivity.
In June 2014, 3 teenage Jewish kids in Israel were brutally murdered by miscreants. In response to that there were allegedly certain cartoons published by the Hamas media showing 3 killed rats with Star of David on them; and certain Hamas leader allegedly publicly showed victory gesture with 3 fingers (instead of usual 2). Such provocations may have prompted a ?revenge? killing of Palestine kids.. followed by unsuccessful rocket attack by Hamas ? further followed by military action by Jewish forces against Hamas, which resulted in huge casualties on the People of Gaza. While I condemn the disproportionate response of Israel as sheer terrorism and I mourn the losses of the people of Gaza ? their atrocities by no way justify / glorify or even signify the tasteless cartoons that surfaced after the murder of 3 teenagers. Those who surfaced the cartoons acted as provocateurs towards the sad events that followed, just like CH did in France. What is bad remains bad even if bad is followed by the worse. Evil begets evil, one evil does not justify another. And good people should stay united to condemn all forms of evil altogether.
Not unnecessarily poking other people?s sensitive sentiments is a fundamental human etiquette ? and Freedom of Speech DOES NOT overrule that etiquette. Those who propagate that drawing naked cartoon of respected figures for fun is our freedom of expression, perhaps should begin their cartoonist career with drawing and publishing a naked cartoon of their mother.
While I join in solemn solidarity with the people of France and the friends and relatives of the direct victims to condemn the terrorists and mourn the victims, I hope and pray to Allah that the overwhelming zeal against bigotry does not get mutilated into an encouragement to further attacking each other?s sensitive areas.
Je ne suis pas Charlie, mais je condamne violance et le meurtre. Je pr?f?re ?tre Ahmed.
May Allah guide us all to the straight route.
Regards,
Arman