Paris attack prompts reflection on differences in values
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A week after terrorists attacked the office of a French weekly political newspaper and shot dead its editor and a number of other staff, the periodical printed a special issue that featured a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad on its cover.
In the image, Muhammad is holding a placard bearing a message expressing solidarity with the newspaper as a tear runs down his cheek. The headline reads, “All is forgiven.”
The newspaper’s normal print run is about 45,000 copies, but it reportedly will ultimately print 5 million copies of this latest edition. It quickly sold out at many kiosks and retail outlets. This indicates that there is heightened public sentiment in France toward protecting freedom of speech.
After the attack, about 3.7 million people took part in marches against terrorism in Paris and elsewhere in France. There has been an upsurge in France’s particular type of patriotism.
French people take great pride in the principle of separation of church and state, and the freedom of speech they won in the French Revolution of 1789. Satirical drawings have become firmly established as a method for criticising royalty and titled nobility, religious figures, politicians and other people in positions of power.
Freedom of expression
However, different cultures view such depictions in different lights. In the Islamic world, which is said to be “a culture without sacred images,” idol worship is not permitted and depicting Muhammad in pictures is forbidden.
While these caricatures
are considered an exercise of
freedom of expression in France, for Muslims they are blasphemy against their religion. The poli-tical newspaper’s cartoons have certainly wounded the religious feelings of many moderate Muslims.
The main Sunni authority
in Egypt denounced the
latest edition’s cover as “disgusting”.
Of course, an act of terrorism can never be forgiven, no matter what religious reasons might be used to try to justify it. It goes without saying that freedom of expression is also a fundamental element of democracy.
As crucial as freedom of speech is, however, the general view in Japan is that if such expression goes against public welfare, it should not be accepted unreservedly.
Media organisations must carry articles and other content only after carefully considering their possible social impact.
The spirit of respecting the various values held by those on the receiving end of such expressions is itself the foundation of a mature democracy.
An Islamic extremist group based in Yemen has claimed responsibility for the shooting at the newspaper’s office.
There is an urgent need to boost cooperation among nations affected by this attack, including countries in the Middle East, and clamp down on terrorism. Antagonism caused by these caricatures must not be allowed to obstruct this process.
