Attack on Charlie Hebdo kills eleven

Link: Gun attack on French magazine Charlie Hebdo kills 11

I’d never heard of Charlie Hebdo until this morning when I saw the news of an attack killing eleven and wounding ten more. The magazine was firebombed in 2011 after naming the Prophet Muhammad as its “editor-in-chief” for its next issue. It seems the modern way of dealing with satire and debate is to kill and maim. Is this what the world has come to?

As soon as I saw the breaking news headline flash up on my phone my immediate thought was “Islamic militants” – I worry about when we can expect an attack in the UK. Soon? Imminently? Last month there was talk of a valid and serious threat to kidnap and murder a West Midlands Police Officer. In May 2013 two Islamists, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby. There have been attacks in Sydney, and recently in Saudi Arabia. Every day the news seems to be filled with reports of more and more attacks by groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda.

What of the solution? We still – as a society – appear to be anti-war whilst the enemy plans and plots to bring war to our streets. At what point do we say, “enough is enough” and take a stand against those groups who wish to cause us harm? Our society is fragile in it’s multi-cultural make up. We live together, black and white, Muslim and Christian, theist and atheist, Labour and Tory. We are all different yet the same. We have a nation built on tolerance and those who preach intolerance plan to do us harm. How many more innocents need to die before we stand up for ourselves? I hope the answer is ‘none’.

5 Comments

missbishi says:

7 January 2015 at 15:31

What I cannot understand is how these terrorists think they are furthering their cause. All these attacks do is cause a greater divide between “us” and “them” and harm the reputation of Islam, which is actually a very peaceful religion.

1. heyan says:
  
  8 January 2015 at 01:27
  
  Very good question. The Muslims I know have nothing but shame and pity upon those extremist who, according to them, have nothing to do with the teachings of Islam. So it looks like they try to impose themselves in violence, but that can only breed hate. Sadly most of this hate falls back on the innocent Muslims, as the terrorists are either gone or faced the fallback already.
  
galmal says:

7 January 2015 at 17:59

I just can’t, for the life of me, understand this type of intolerance. I was raised to respect all people and to value life. Living in the US, freedom of speech is such an integral part of our make-up. The idea that you would kill someone because they said something you don’t agree with is such a foreign concept. I was shocked when I heard the story this morning. I can’t imagine what if must be like to feel so much hatred and anger that you would go to these lengths. I pity them. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is any way to “reason” with people like this, and I fear that we will continue to see such atrocities.

CakeGirl says:

7 January 2015 at 18:43

It’s so sad that these people really do believe that what they are doing is the “right” thing. They will never engage people about their cause if all they have on their minds is hatred and violence.

I’m sorry to say that the thinking behind killing and maiming anyone who disagrees with you is simply barbaric, and as a UK citizen, I am particularly worried about when we might expect attacks of this nature over here.

My deepest sympathy goes to the victims and their families.

kd3pc says:

13 January 2015 at 17:28

Cakegirl, you may have hit upon a solid discriminator ….that of barbaric behavior and values as opposed the behavior and values as exhibited by most “civilized” populations.

Usually one sees that respect for human life is one of the first things civil people embrace.

The UK, being a short drive/train/boat away from this attack, should shore up things. Best of luck to you, and sympathy for those lost, and their families and friends.

Attack on Charlie Hebdo kills eleven

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