Stéphane Charbonnier RIP

For John, BLUF:  Liberty has to be earned anew each day.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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"Charlie Hebdo Editor Made Provocation His Mission"

"Stéphane Charbonnier, Known as Charb, Was Killed in Attack".  Today's terror attack in Paris that killed 12.  The International New York Times had a short appreciation of Mr Charbonnier, by Reporter Ravi Somaiyajan.

Mr. Charbonnier, 47, a cartoonist known professionally as Charb, was among 12 people killed Wednesday when gunmen attacked his newspaper’s offices in Paris.  He had been instrumental in a series of defiant campaigns that divided public opinion — some saw them as powerful stands for free speech, and others as needless provocations.

He oversaw the publication of a spoof issue in 2011, advertised as guest edited by the Prophet Muhammad, which led to the paper’s offices being firebombed.

In 2012, Mr. Charbonnier defied the advice of the French government and published crude caricatures of Muhammad, shown naked and in sexual poses.  Depictions of the prophet, even if reverent, are forbidden under Islamic law. One of the people killed Wednesday was a police officer assigned to guard the paper’s offices after those episodes.

“Is it really sensible or intelligent to pour oil on the fire?” asked Laurent Fabius, the foreign minister at the time, when he closed French embassies, consulates, cultural centers and schools in about 20 countries.

The thing is, yes, it is sensible and intelligent.

We are seeing a narrowing of who we are.

I don't find Mr Stéphane Cabonnier as having great insights into religion, but he had a view that he had developed over a lifetime.  Now he will find out if he was correct, or perhaps, if there is nothing past death, he will return to dust and that will be it.

The important thing is that the living not be cowed.  It isn't just this small weekly.

1. There were the Danish Cartoons as well—no cartooning.
2. There was the book,The Satanic Verses—so no book writing.
3. There was the video, Innocence of Muslims—so no videography.

What are the limits?  What if some sect of a much larger religion believed that impregnating women saved their souls, and went around raping women left and right?  If we denounced them and made fun of them and they struck back with bullets and bombs, would we pull in our horns and let them go with no condemnation?

We need to stand up to the playground bullies.  Otherwise we will not truly be free men and women.

As a practicing Christian I thank Mr Cabonnier for his insight and bravery.

Regards  —  Cliff