Charlie Hebdo Massacre won’t Scare Cartoonists

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    On Wednesday, a group of thugs broke into the Paris offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and brutally massacred 12 people, including cartoonists, journalists and security officers.

    It was an attack on free speech. It was an attack on civilized society. And it was an attack on a brave publication full of cartoonists who all too often have had to deal with threats, ridicule and anger.

    Back in 2011, Charlie Hebdo’s offices were firebombed and destroyed after the magazine named the prophet Mohammed as its “editor in chief,” featuring him on the cover in a cartoon saying, “100 lashes if you don’t die of laughter.”

    How did the magazine respond? With a new issue sporting a cover drawn by French cartoonist Luz that featured a bearded Muslim kissing a cartoonist with the headline “L’Amour plus fort que la haine” — “Love is stronger than hate.”

    I spoke briefly with Charlie Hebdo’s editor, cartoonist Stephane Charbonnier (who published under the pen name “Charb”) nearly a year after the firebombing, when a man was arrested after threatening to decapitate him. What impressed me then and sticks with me through this terrible tragedy is his absolute unwavering defense of making fun of Islamic radicals.

    Charb’s intent wasn’t to insult Islam but instead to scrutinize it in the same way that all religions and politicians sometimes deserve. If he could feature Pope Benedict in an amorous embrace with a Vatican guard, why was making fun of Muslims off limits?

    “Mohammed isn’t sacred to me. I don’t blame Muslims for not laughing at our drawings. I live under French law. I don’t live under Quranic law,” he later told the AP.

    Just this week, Charb drew a cartoon observing that there haven’t been any terrorist attacks in France. The cartoon featured an armed jihadist twisting a famous French phrase to say, “Wait!… one has until the end of January to present one’s season’s greetings.”

    Charb, and fellow French cartoonists Jean Cabut (who went by the pen name “Cabu”), Bernard Verlhac (who signed his work “Tignous”) and Georges Wolinski, were among those tragically killed in Wednesday’s barbarous assault.

    So far, 12 people have been reported dead, including a security officer who reportedly pleaded for his life before being shot at close range by the fleeing suspects.

    The dead were all brilliant. All brave. All defiant. Now victims in a senseless act of war against journalism and the freedom of expression.

    I wish I could call many newspapers today brave, but as I went through the coverage by the New York Daily News and the Telegraph, I saw file photos of a defiant Charb holding up copies of Charlie Hebdo with the cartoons censored and blurred out. Not only are you failing to honor the work of fallen journalists, you’re doing the bidding of the very terrorists that want to dictate what can and can’t be covered.

    “More freedom of expression and not less demonstrates courage in the face of attacks,” the Association of American Editorial Cartoonist said in a statement. “Shrinking from a newspaper’s watchdog role only encourages more terror.”

    The brave cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo gave their lives to advance the freedom of expression, and they paid the ultimate price to defend the ability of all cartoonists to make fun of anyone.

    The power of cartoons are undeniable, and as someone who’s received threats, I can I understand why they’re so scary to powerful, small-minded radicals.

    I just wish they’d get a sense of humor.

    Rob Tomce ias a cartoonist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Press Of Atlantic City and Cagle Cartoons.

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    28 COMMENTS

    1. Any time some one threatens you it’s time to stand up to them or they will do it again an again. I learned that the hard way early in life. Bullies don’t like to be bullied back. Most bullies are cowards and if confronted with enough back force they will cave. You really should OUT those that threaten you. If you don’t then you are being controlled right now. I’d also start packing a automatic pistol and get a carry permit just in case you might need it someday. Take a class in self defense if you need training. Take your own advice and be strong! Life is not worth living it you can’t be free. Something like that was said by someone some time in the past. Give me liberty or give me death. Who said that?

    2. IMHO
      Free speech is the linchpin of freedom. Without her there can be no manifestation of individual point of view or semblance of Democracy. She IS worth dying for … for to exist without her is not to live.

      How very strange … to this reader that in the 21st century we are witnessing another Holy War. I’m not against theology. One can see the difference faith has on the believers … whether the thing believed in is real or not. However, one cannot point to another concept that has inspired more mayhem than religion.

      IMHO: We presently find ourselves in a wondrous world. One perceived by our senses and defined by our conscious choices. Spirit is a thing common to all living things. A spirited horse, a loyal and loving dog or a cantankerous old mule. Even the plants perceive and respond to our loving touch. Perhaps everything we need to know is within our grasp. Perhaps the Kingdom of God is at hand … right here and right now.

      I could never kill another human being because he didn’t share my philosophical beliefs. Radicals who excuse barbaric behavior in the name of their God … are the greatest perversion on the face of this Earth …

      However: the defense of myself and those within my realm of influence … from the violent actions of religious fanatics is not debatable … it is decided, instinctive and certain. …

      • Now that’s some good stuff “bubba”,,,,specially them last two paragraphs ; Thanks

        “I could never kill another human being because he didn’t share my philosophical beliefs. Radicals who excuse barbaric behavior in the name of their God … are the greatest perversion on the face of this Earth …

        However: the defense of myself and those within my realm of influence … from the violent actions of religious fanatics is not debatable … it is decided, instinctive and certain. …”

      • Excellent post, might have liked to see you say “barbaric behavior in the name of their God or god” but otherwise excellent. Hope I’m not being too crass in saying, as you say IMHO, that your post supports the supposition that the Second Amendment is necessary to protect the First.

        • Moonpup
          “your post supports the supposition that the Second Amendment is necessary to protect the First.”

          Yes it does. The First … AND all the rest. …

      • Yes, we know people like you hope there’s some kind of invasion so you can live out your sick fantasies. I can’t watch the video right now but I’m assuming it’s some fox news moron saying Muslims will try to take over the country.

      • “The Blaze” is NEVER, EVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES “worth watching and sharing.” It is the ravings of a dangerous lunatic, just like the jihadists are.

          • Yes, Bill Maher hates Islam. I do too. I am against all religions equally. You radical right wingers think liberals are all muslim, smoke pot, are gay, and on welfare. I could just as easily say any republican is a trailer dwelling member of the KKK.

          • This is what I’ve been waiting for. The liberals are losing their media cheerleaders. We are headed in the right direction, just stick to the basic and hammer away at the truth and the Sharptons, Jacksons, LaRaza, naacp, msnbc, cnn, npr and other liberal trash and riff raff will become non players. I don’t like this cold weather but have you noticed the drop in crime? Many years ago I was doing some work up north, real up north and I can remember asking a local resident how they kept their town so clean and crime so low. The simply reply, 30 below keeps the trash and riff raff out.

        • The same thoughts I have when I read, “Huffington” . Gain some knowledge in how the Cambodians and European Jews found themselves the victims of genocide and you’ll discover they had their liberals also. No need to worry we live in a modern society and no one would allow this to happen. You can only move away from the southeast side so many times until there’s no place left to move. Evil is a creeping thing.

    5. EKB……spirit guide to the masses. LOL !! Thank God the free thinkers don’t succumb to your head in the sand / fingers in ears approach.

      • At some point, moderate elements of Islam will HAVE to take leadership initiative, and confront and eliminate the extremists from their circles.

        It will take time. The extremists in the faith always make some kind of play that they are the “True Faith” and anyone who opposes them is labeled as “You are Declaring War on our Religion!”

        It took decades, but the Republican Party finally distanced itself from the Christian extremists in the United States and is slowly, but surely, eliminating these people from positions of influence.

        It is going to take time to eliminate these people too.

        • ‘At some point, moderate elements of Islam will HAVE to take leadership initiative, and confront and eliminate the extremists from their circles.”

          Somehow I feel that’s probably what the German people were thinking about Hitler.

          How did that work out ?

          • I think we’re agreeing here. We should help take these idiots out. But killing a few here and there is not going to stop the extremism in the religion, and it isn’t going to stop them from doing this over and over and over again. There’s always two more to take the place of every one that dies.

            It has to come by eliminating the extremists religious, political and state support, and taking those religious supporters OUT. They will fight this and say we are taking away their freedom of religion. And they will holler and always take what they consider the high ground “YOU ARE DECLARING WAR ON OUR RELIGION!”

            Same thing happened here in the United States with the Christian extremists, but it took decades to take out these people’s political influence. It won’t happen overnight. But look at the Rick Santorum’s of the world in the US, they have become a circus act. They talk like fools in their church, but they have no real political influence.

    7. I find it amazing that the world is finally speaking out and declaring Islamic extremists as such, and saying that we need to stand up to these thugs after 12 cartoonists and journalists were killed in France. Where was the outcry when children in Iraq were beheaded because they claimed to love Jesus? Where was the condemnation by these same criminals who raped Christian women as well? I guess it’s okay to also kill Jews and other minorities as long as they are different from the prevailing culture and labeled as dangerous.

      Historically speaking, I guess it was okay that Stalin eliminated 20 million Russians, Ukrainians, and others in the Soviet Union, and the alleged 80 million slaughtered by Mao, and many of these were eliminated because of their “religious” beliefs, and daring to express themselves openly.

      It seems that secularists and humanists don’t believe in “religion,” even their own. It seems that atheists operate under the notion that they are absent from having a system of faith, but I contend that they do operate under doctrines of religion as much as those who proclaim a faith in a god or God. The god of secularists, humanists, and atheists is self. They are their own god, and operate with dogmas and doctrines unique to their religion which advocates the elimination of those who have a philosophy different from their own.

      We’re all different, but why can’t we accept those differences of philosophy and thought, and why can’t we agree on those principles that are common to us all, such as, to preserve life, liberty, pursuing your own happiness while maintaining the same right for others as long as we do so peaceably and with respect.

      • Sorry, I have to call you a name, because it’s accurate. You’re a fool, and you are unstable. (Sorry, that’s two, one a noun and the other an adjective. Still, both accurate.)

        TASOS, what ghost in your room do you have running around you that is telling you it supports beheadings by religious extremists? What ghost in your room do you have running around you that finds it fine that religious extremists are killing people?

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