Yo soy Charlie. Ich bien Charlie. Som Charlie Hebdo. Jsem Charlie Hebdo.
Journalists and citizens alike have united around one simple statement: I am Charlie. On January 7th, 2015, the world was horrified to learn that two gunmen had successfully stormed the office complex of the French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo and killed 11 staff members. These attacks have been viewed as a response to the controversial cartoons and magazine covers that Charlie Hebdo has printed over the years. Often times, the weekly publication has contained provocative images of historical figures, global politicians and religious leaders. The magazine is self-described as “anti- religious backwardness” and claims to be against religions and religious leaders who use their influence for political purposes. In 2011, a huge controversy was sparked over a particular cover that depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad and mocked the strictness of Sharia law. The Charlie Hebdo offices were fire-bombed the day before this particular cover were set to release.
From major media outlets to personal Twitter accounts, a significant portion of the global community has condemned what they see as a direct attack by Islamic terrorists on the freedom of speech. Multiple world leaders have offered France their condolences for the tragedy, traveling to Paris and standing amongst citizens in a demonstration to honor the lives of those who died in the attack. Surprisingly, the United States did not send a high ranking official to this event in Paris, which ignited worldwide controversy. The United States government has since released statements admitting that not sending a representative was a mistake and that they fully support France. But even these statements have not stopped various news outlets from questioning where President Obama’s loyalties lie.
Finding the bright side of a dark situation is often hard to do, but in the case of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, one can look to the rising “Je Suis Charlie” movement for hope. Social media has been flooded with images of a fist clutching a pencil in the air, representing the demand for the protection of freedom of speech.