Yesterday, on Wednesday January 7, 2015, the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo was attacked by three men in a terrorist attack. Twelve people paid with their lives this assault against freedom of speech.
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Frédéric Boisseau, Franck Brinsolaro, Jean Cabut (aka "Cabu"), Elsa Cayat, Stéphane Charbonnier (aka "Charb"), Philippe Honoré (aka "Honoré"), Bernard Maris, Ahmed Merabet, Mustapha Ourrad, Michel Renaud, Bernard Verlhac (aka "Tignous"), Georges Wolinski (aka "Wolinski")
These are the names of the twelve "Martyrs For Liberty" (John Kerry, in French)
who died at the office of Charlie Hedbo in Paris (7/01/15).
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At the announcement of this awful attack, people on social networks hold their breaths together, wether they were from France or any other country in the world, discovering little by little the massacre which happened at the office of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, as well as in the streets. Charlie Hebdo, this French "irresponsible newspaper", lost 10 of its employees, including journalists and five famous cartoonists. The journalists and cartoonists were geniuses of a generation who were not afraid of drawing cartoons of politicians, (French) personalities, or every major religion. People with a talent that we will not be able to replace. Geniuses that we will all miss. The attack also made two victims who were policemen. Two men in charge of our safety who died in hero. Two men who are added to this already-too-long list of innocent victim of this fight for freedom.
And with this act of extreme violence, these extremists wanted to "kill Charlie Hedbo" but they did not quite manage to do so.
Indeed, their act was seen as an act of barbary, which was also seen as an attack against the freedom of speech. By attacking the French newspaper with no boundary, no limit in their freedom of expressing their idea, they went straight on to attacking this Human Right, this freedom that we all own from our first breath in France.
France, this laique country, birth-country of Human Rights, which has been touched in its heart, in its soul when the freedom of speech and Charlie Hebdo was targeted. This country which people had fought for centuries to own their freedoms, their rights was then realised that the fight was not over. That a group of extremists is willing to intervene in our minds to force us to be afraid of expressing our ideas... Once again, they are wrong!
France, this laique country, birth-country of Human Rights, which has been touched in its heart, in its soul when the freedom of speech and Charlie Hebdo was targeted. This country which people had fought for centuries to own their freedoms, their rights was then realised that the fight was not over. That a group of extremists is willing to intervene in our minds to force us to be afraid of expressing our ideas... Once again, they are wrong!
Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, Laïcité. These are the values of the Republic the victims were living in, the values they were living for, the values they were fighting for. This the values that we, French people, were all fighting in a more or less quiet silence seem to have been unheard for too long. It seems that they had the guts to do it, they had the courage to express these values load and clear, written - drawn - on paper. If these men were afraid, why were we so quiet for so long?
And it seems that French people are wondering this. With the now-famous sentence "Je Suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) - which was vastly shared on social network - people showed their support to Charlie Hebdo, but not only. They showed their need to show the world, to show the assailants that we have the freedom to express ourselves and we will keep on using it. We are not afraid. We will continue the work of Charlie Hebdo.
And it seems that French people are wondering this. With the now-famous sentence "Je Suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) - which was vastly shared on social network - people showed their support to Charlie Hebdo, but not only. They showed their need to show the world, to show the assailants that we have the freedom to express ourselves and we will keep on using it. We are not afraid. We will continue the work of Charlie Hebdo.
"I do not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to death you right to say it."
- Voltaire.
Je Suis Charlie. Nous Sommes Charlie.
But we are not alone. This sad event has shown that we are not alone. The world is as shocked as us. The world wants to show their respect to these victims just as much as us. The world has realised that this freedom of speech might have to be fought for. The world has showed their support to France. They have send their condolences to French people.
Je Suis Charlie. Nous Sommes Charlie.
But we are not alone. This sad event has shown that we are not alone. The world is as shocked as us. The world wants to show their respect to these victims just as much as us. The world has realised that this freedom of speech might have to be fought for. The world has showed their support to France. They have send their condolences to French people.
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"12 morts, 66 millions de blessés." - "On peut tuer des hommes, pas des idées." - "Ils voulaient mettre la France a genoux, ils l'ont mise debout." - "Ils ont voulu tuer Charlie Hebdo, ils l'ont rendu immortel." - "Je Suis Charlie"
François Hollande decided that today would be a National Day of Mourning. Gatherings around the country and abroad happened yesterday, today and will happened until we understand why so much violence. Why so much violence for drawings?
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"12 morts, 66 millions de blessés." - "On peut tuer des hommes, pas des idées." - "Ils voulaient mettre la France a genoux, ils l'ont mise debout." - "Ils ont voulu tuer Charlie Hebdo, ils l'ont rendu immortel." - "Je Suis Charlie"
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