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Disclaimer : I’m absolutely not against a discussion or different opinions, as that would be pure hypocrisy. However, I ask for respect and not insults. Thank you. Also, I apologize if I did a few mistakes, the original text I did was in French.
Je suis Charlie, mais je suis aussi tous les autres.
I am Charlie, but I’m also everyone else.
Today is Sunday, the 11th 2015, and while many go to Paris, or in other cities, to peacefully demonstrate, I’m posting a text that will probably lose itself in the lart thing that is Internet, but it will allow myself to finally say what I think. Few words, but they’re my strength.
At first, I wanted to shout a peace message with the others, that we musn’t be scared and that we must unite. Yet, I only need to small time on the Internet, and mostly Tumblr to see indifference, or accusations, even joy. Does this text have to become a plea, in order to show the hope of calm and unity of the majority ?
No one deserves to be murdered. Against ink, only ink should flow, it should never be blood. This is a law I thought universal, yet it should be cast aside for them ? Aren’t they human beings ?
Charlie Hebdo is a satirical newspaper ; its purpose was only to ever denounce one thing : « les cons », the idiots. Idiots from all political parties, the rich idiots and the poor idiots, idiots from every religion. Of course, those who never heard of the newspaper until then couldn’t obviously know it, and they only heard about what caused the attack, the caricature of the Prophet, which, ironically, denounced religious fanaticism. Was it too much ?
On television, interviews and reports over and over. We can’t remember everything that was said, but some words stays, and we think about it. The other evening, some surviving members of Charlie Hebdo were themselves being interviewed, and they mentionned the « Yes but. »
We can talk about everything. « Yes but. »
We must denounce excesses. « Yes but. »
We must denounced religious fanaticism. « Yes but. »
We’re advocating for a freedom of speech we ourselves are muzzling. A freedom for which people died, people fought. Shouldn’t we celebrate it ?
But the question of religion wants to interfere. Words screamed by two insane men before murdering people initiated the fear of the amalgams. The imam of the mosque of Drancy, Hassen Chalghoumi, and many Muslims, whose words are heard on the radio or on TV, say it themselves. The attack, the murders of twelve innocents, was everything but respectuous towards Islam. Islam, like any other religion, wants to convey a message of love, peace and understanding.
But extremism cannot be avoided, fanaticism. Insane people who will interpret holy texts in order to justify their dreadful actions. But it is in no way something exclusive to Muslims. There are extremists in every single religion, in the whole world. There are Christians fanatics, Jewishs fanatics, Muslims, Buddhists. Today’s world casts the spotlight on Muslims fanatics, but we must never ever forget they’re not the only ones, not the first, not the last.
And those fanatics are only a mere handful of people. Turn your TV on, go on the Internet, turn your radio on ! How many of them are calling for peace ? How many of them share the pain of the others ? How many of them can we see demonstrating peacefully with the others ? Way more than some politicians or other ill-intended peoples are suggering. It’s an entire « civilization », the world which is advocating for peace, against terrorists, against a handful of « fanatics ».
And even though they saw themselves as Muslims, didn’t they murderwith the same composure two innocents, Muslims themselves ? Mustapha Ourrad, proof-reader for the newspaper, and Ahmed Merabet, cop. Killed for the others, isn’t it a proof for the madness of those two terrorists ? Sharing the opinion of some, I would rather use the term of terrorist rather than fanatic for those two murderers. To kill innocents cannot be justified by any religion, and shouldn’t be seen as religious.
Against outrage, couldn’t they use words ? The Christian Church, against caricatures considered as way too outrageous, dragged them into tribunals. And it’s not the only one ! Political groups, other medias, religious associations (Christian, Jewish or even Muslims) did it. They fought with laws.
To live in democraty involves rules. Ink against ink. Words against words. Freedom of speech shouldn’t be a right to fight for, but something obvious. Violence is not a solution.
However, we saw an escalation of violence. The day after the attack, a lot of muslims worship places were attacked. We cannot deny it. We must not deny it. Extremists calls to other extremists. But we must see the whole picture. Against those irrespectful extremists, we have thousands of peaceful demonstrators, for freedom of speech, against amalgams, against terrorism. They’re not afraid, and they show it. Despite the cowardly murder of Clarissa Jean-Philippe on Thursday, until the climax on Friday, with the hostage taking in the kosher supermarket by the murderer of the girl the day before, and the long confrontation between the two murderers of Wednesday and the GIGN. The hostages of the supermarket, forced to stay next to lifeless corpses for entire hours. The action around 17h that same fateful Friday, and the death of those three terorists. Slight regret for some, who wished that those terrorists, no matter how monstruous and murderous they were, were juged, in a tribunal. Democracy against Barbarism.
We cannont say that the fight against terrorism ended at this very moment. We cannot talk about victory or defeat. The death of those innocents, seventeen in only three days, must be honored. With respect of course, by mourning, by this peaceful demonstration.
But also with humour, drawings, texts. By remembering them. Charlie Hebdo is a satirical magazine, talking about everything with sharp humour. I cannot talk for the victims, neither their families. But for the dead from the magazine, a magazine which denounce everything with humour, we must show them that it won’t stop.
The death of those innocents must not be in vain. They died for the freedom of speech, they died for a Republic. They died standing, facing a weapon that wanted to shut them up.
While writing this, I’m listening to the television, reports, and I’m hearing this, from the daughter of one of the killed cartoonists, Elsa Wolinski who is saying this : « They fought the extremes. We must not fall into a racist hatred. We must not create amalgams, we must be in a freedom of conscience and kindness. » Isn’t it expressive enough ? She adds that, thanks to her family name « We are under the spotlight, people listen to us. But there are the others. »
Indeed ; we see that on the Internet, we’re accused of not talking about the others. It takes time, we’re starting by those everyone knew, those whose names were evokating something. But we’re also honoring the others. We’re starting to talk about them, to show they were there, that they died for freedom.
Yesterday evening, reports were not honoring the four (five) cartoonists, but Frédéric Boisseau, the cleaner and the first victim, as well as Ahmed Merabet, cop who died while trying to stop the two murderers. They’re the one we talked about, it is their family we saw, yet wished to fight against amalgams. And it’s not months after on obscure channels, it’s a few days afterwards, on national channels.
We’re not forgetting them. They were there, and they died standing.
Is France racist, or is it a strong Republic ? It’s not only « I AM CHARLIE » that resonates in France. It’s also “I AM MUSLIM”, “I AM JEWISH” “I AM A COP”, “I AM THE REPUBLIC”, “I AM FRANCE”. I am Charlie but I’m also everyone else, those who died for the Republic, those hwo died for the freedom of speech in which we are millions to believe in. We are survivors, as well as Charlie Hebdo who will publish next Wednesday «Le Journal des Survivants », the Newspaper of the Survivors. We were silent a minute to honor them, but we will shout our love for the freedom of speech and the unity of a diverse country, for hours, for days, forever.
I am Charlie, a newspaper who stands up next to attacks. I am Cabu, Charb, Tignous, Wolinski, Honoré, cartoonists against bullshit. But not only them. I am Frédérick, I am Franck, I am Elsa, I am Bernard, I am Ahmed, I am Mustapha, I am Michel, who died standing, for a newspaper, for the freedom of speech. I am Clarissa, who died even though she did nothing. I am Philippe, I am Yohan, I am Yoav, I am François-Michel, killed while they just wanted to do their shopping. I am not only Charlie, I’m also everyone else.
Those few words are nothing much, but they’re my strength. Long live the freedom of speech.
- Duekko, french blogger who refuse to give up hope.
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