Our Desk: In the name of freedom

Catarina Pinto

On January 7, as some hurried to wrap up a working day on this side of the planet, two men killed 12 people at satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in France – allegedly over the publication’s representation of the Prophet Muhammad through its cartoons.
The following days saw massive crowds taking to the streets in the name of freedom of speech. The rallies were held in name of liberties that a country like France treasures deeply. Millions attended rallies calling for unity, not only in Paris but in other European cities.
As a leap of faith, it was moving to see how people of different ages, races and nationalities came together in the name of freedom. They held their banners calling for unity as well as pencils serving as a symbol of freedom of the press.
But how united is this Europe in vowing to defend freedom of expression? How far can we go while making use of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights clause that stipulates freedom of expression as “the right of every individual to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”?
Many among France’s Muslim community condemned the attack, but that doesn’t go to say that they agree with the satirical magazine’s approach either.
“They [cartoonists] were warned but they kept on mocking the Prophet,” an 18-year old French Muslim told BBC News, adding: “but you cannot kill for that. You cannot go against press freedom in France. Still, they will have to answer to God.”
While many shouted through the Paris streets “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie), others felt compelled to take to the streets to say exactly the opposite. They are not Charlie, mainly because they refused to take part in a national movement they thought of as backing cartoonists who “insulted” the Prophet Muhammad.
Others in countries as far as Australia held rallies under the motto: “Je suis Muslim.”
I don’t see Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons as particularly disrespectful towards the Muslim community or the Catholic community, which was also “targeted” in their drawings. But then again I am not Muslim, and understand that those who are might hold a different opinion.
The discussion around the degree of respectfulness of their cartoons and the subsequent attack is useless. Killing in the name of any god – or in any name for that matter – is a repellant and hideous act.
Hugh Schofield, BBC correspondent in Paris, wrote that millions of people in the city demonstrated because they were afraid: “People demonstrate for causes that they feel are under threat. Demonstrating reveals our insecurity.” I couldn’t agree more.
On top of fearing any threat to freedom of expression, I fear what I can’t possibly understand. I fail to understand, for instance, the so-called “Pegida” movement. The Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West has been staging weekly rallies in Germany – since its establishment in October aimed at creating an anti-immigrant movement – with a particular focus on Muslims.
In November last year, Poland saw a rally during its Independence Day turn violent – apparently thanks to nationalist demonstrators.
A documentary by The Guardian, published last week, followed a 19-year-old girl as she joined the far-right National Radical Camp. Rather scary images: a man shouts “Polish land only in Polish hands!” at the camp, young women and men are incited to shout “Hail the Greater Poland, Hail!” while wearing army-like uniforms, and they run up the mountain while shouting: “For the Nation!”
I can’t help but fear any kind of exaggerated patriotism. It reminds me of a time I did not live in, a time I don’t wish to see repeated.