Charlie Hebdo, Freedom of the Press & Loving Our Enemies
The pen is mightier than the sword. This old adage has been put to the test lately. Before Christmas, Sony Pictures pulled its farcical comedy about an assassination plot on North Korea’s dictator. Cyber-attacks along with additional threats struck fear into the hearts of Sony's higher-ups. After public pressure from the White House and from various free speech advocates, Sony rethought its stance and released the movie. This week, two terrorists stormed the offices of Charlie Hedbo , an irreverent yet serious weekly paper in France. Their scathing critiques of politics, society & religion provoked a broad range of responses from across French society: fandom, laughter, scorn and apparently hatred. Their depictions of Muhammad were a lightning rod for Muslims. They repeatedly poked fun at Muhammad and at Islam. This so angered radicalized Muslims that multiple threats had come to the editors of Charlie Hedbo who were under constant guard. The terrorists were st...