La Marche Republicaine isn’t hypocritical, Charlie Hebdo is

http://www.la-croix.com

You know these iconic historical pictures that define their eras? Sometimes I see pictures that are taken now, and I can just tell that these pictures will define our era in the future. Pictures of La Marche Republicaine in Paris will definitely do that.

Seeing thousands of people gather in one place for the name of peace was incredible, and I was glad to have witnessed it (through TV but still). However, cries about hypocrisy arose (Netanyahu leading the march of peace? The man responsible for killing hundreds of Palestinian children? Really now?) and it got me thinking.

I do believe that having certain world leaders lead the march made it look hypocritical, but let’s look at the bigger picture here. The other marchers were simple citizens who are sick and tired (like the rest of us) of all the violence and hate. These people truly believed in that cause and were sincere about it.

I am still amazed and thankful that this horrible attack has backfired on its initiators. Instead of more Islamophobia arising, we now have louder calls for peace and respect between all races and religions. While I was typing this blog post, I stumbled upon an article by TIME, reporting that Charlie Hebdo plans to feature cartoons of Prophet Mohamad (PBUH) in its next edition.

I facepalmed.

What a stupid, insensitive thing to do. I mean of course I am still against the attacks, and I do believe that they are free to draw whatever they want, silly little cartoons are not going to affect Prophet Mohamad’s (PBUH) legacy in any way. But it is such an immature thing to do, people were calling for peace and mutual respect just yesterday, and here they are spreading a message of hate all over again.

I get that they are trying to defy the terrorists, but at this point they are simply re-launching the cycle of abhorrence, and undermining what the march was truly about.

Although it shouldn’t be, freedom of speech is a complicated topic. I could think of hundreds of things I am allowed to say under the argument of freedom of speech, but does it mean that I should? Can the newspaper draw something that denies the Holocaust for example? We’re going in circles here.

Truth be told, La Marche Republicaine isn’t hypocritical, Charlie Hebdo is.

For Officer Ahmed

Officer Ahmed Merabet

It’s quite despairing that we have to start 2015 with such a tragedy. The attack on Charlie Hebdo is not the first of its kind, but it was so violent and unexpected that it left the world in shocked unity. The attackers, who cried Allahu Akbar and that they have avenged the Prophet Mohamad PBUH, were said to be Muslim.

This attack came at a time when the Muslim community of France is facing an all-time high level of discrimination and dissent. You can believe what you want about the attackers, but whatever their ulterior agenda was, their plan has backfired. One of their victims, Ahmed Merabet, was a Muslim police officer.

How ironic is it that they came to kill people who made fun of their Prophet, only to be faced with a Muslim who was called Ahmed of all names?

People can blame Islam and Muslims all they want, but this incident has shown that terrorism has no religion, it does not discriminate. It is simply an act of hateful violence committed by people who have sold their humanity. Their goal is to divide and flourish on the hate that they create. Officer Ahmed’s death should not go in vain, his death is proof that now is not the time to fight against each other, but to stand together against hatred and violence. His death is a message that we have one enemy: Extremism.

Is it idealistic? Maybe. But if we lose hope, it would mean that terrorism has won. Pointing fingers and spewing abhorrence will only serve to ostracize the Muslim community. This is what the terrorists want, they want to feed on that dark energy, and this is how extremism rises and manages to influence vulnerable souls, giving them the illusion of a rightly cause.

May Officer Ahmed and any one who dies fighting extremism and violence rest in peace.