Do you think the Charlie Hebdo publication in France is being insensitive by publishing a new caricature of the Prophet Mohammad in Wednesday’s edition?
Do you think it will incite more anger in the Muslim world?
Egypt’s Grand Mufti thinks it will, reports The Jerusalem Post, saying this: “This edition will cause a new wave of hatred in French and Western society in general and what the magazine is doing does not serve coexistence or a dialog between civilizations,” the office of Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam, one of the region’s most influential Muslim clerics, said in a statement.
Others are warning of serious repercussions as well.
Some publications around the world are planning to run the cartoon when they report on the news story that is Charlie Hebdo’s re-emergence, while other publications are saying they will not print the new cartoon.
So, on one hand, this is viewed as a freedom of speech issue. But on the other hand, it is seen as an insult to Muslims as well as having the potential to set off new rounds of criminal terrorist acts, resulting in the deaths of more innocent people.
Are Charlie Hebdo and other publications that run the cartoon being irresponsible?
Personally, if I worked for Charlie Hebdo and it was up to me, I would not run a caricature of the Prophet Mohammad, both out of respect for Muslims in general and because I would not want to fuel an already volatile situation.
I’d find another way to express a message of peace and love.
— Jillian
Jillian Page 
Non. What is more bothersome is what they did not show in NA: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/11/1357057/-The-Charlie-Hebdo-cartoons-no-one-is-showing-you?detail=email
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The Koran does not forbid images of Mohammad, only idol worship – just like the Christian bible.
The Muslims have no more right to not be offended than the Christians.
To not publish the Charlie Hebdo cover is cowardice.
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Steve, do you think the families, relatives and friends of the 17 people killed would agree with you? If there are more victims of attacks related to the new caricatures, do you think their families, relatives and friends would feel that freedom of expression was more important than human lives?
Sometimes we have to put our high-falutin’ principles on the backburner, especially if it means saving lives. Tensions are running high now. Responsible journalists should not be doing anything to encourage terrorist attacks, as Charlie Hebdo is doing — while printing some 3 million copies of its publication when it normally prints 50,000. Yes, it will be a profitable run . . . ka-ching ka-ching.
I agree that the caricature is tame in comparison to others the magazine has done, but the fact is, it bothers many Muslims and may very well lead to more deaths.
If Charlie Hebdo wants to promote peace and love, it could have done so in many other ways. But it chose to put pride first. Let us pray that it is not at the expense of peace.
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“Steve, do you think the families, relatives and friends of the 17 people killed would agree with you? If there are more victims of attacks related to the new caricatures, do you think their families, relatives and friends would feel that freedom of expression was more important than human lives?”
So, your answer is to let the terrorists win yet again?
One magazine buyer stated it perfectly:
“To buy Charlie this morning is the best response to what’s happened,” he told NouvelObs. “It symoblises resistance, the desire for it to continue and develop. Everyone must buy it. They touched something fundamental in the French and in the whole of Europe regarding freedom of expression, freedom. The front page is pretty mild. It is more touching than provocative.”
I feel really sad for the friends and relatives of the murdered, and for France. Realize that the magazine is being published by the victims’ friends, the survivors, and the profits are going to the victim’s families. The Charlie Hebdo staff said putting Mohammed on the cover showed they would not surrender to extremists wanting to silence them.
Are we at war? Then why surrender at the first opportunity?
Just how different would the world be today if there were no Ghetto uprisings in 1939 Poland? If there were no French Resistance to harass the Nazis? These brave people knew well that their activities would mean more innocents would be killed by the Nazi reprisals. But their diversion of German troops from the Allied front, as well as their support for Allied airmen shot down during the war (including my father), the war could well have ended differently. (Hitler’s scientists were also developing an atomic bomb).
So, if we are at war, then every opportunity to harass and weaken the enemy is the responsibility of the combatants.
Do you really think that allowing the terrorists to win, again, will stop them from further attacks?
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If Muslim teaching is that the prophet should not be pictured then fine – for Muslims. But I’m not a Muslim, so why should my life be dictated by their faith? We must be sensitive to their beliefs, so what comes next? My wife must walk three paces behind me and wear a burka?
Being sensitive to others’ beliefs sounds all very we’ll, but at what point do we say ‘no’ because it is interfering too much with OUR value systems?
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“When someone says ‘I believe in the Freedom of Speech, but…’, it’s no longer free.” – Salman Rushdie
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