I mourn the loss of those who died in the heinous Charlie Hebdo massacre, but I can’t go as far as saying “Je suis Charlie”, like some of my friends. I am not Charlie, and I am not like Charlie. As an American citizen who believes in freedom of speech, I can abide by the magazine’s right to publish controversial material, but I cannot support the insensitivity of doing so in the manner that Charlie Hebdo does, particularly against the backdrop of previous, known attacks.
The editors knew they were putting themselves and their people at risk and went ahead and did it anyway, knowing that this day could come. Freedom of expression in a publication must be tempered by sensitivity to readers, including people from all religions and ethnic backgrounds.
Free speech must also be considered against the consequences of sharing the information. Could people die if I hit ‘send’ on this article? If so, I would think twice before sending it. I don’t agree to expressions of racism or any other kind of hatred in the name of freedom of speech. I don’t agree that it is right to ‘out’ a CIA operative who is protecting the very freedoms that can get them killed. I don’t agree with yelling ‘fire’ in a crowded room when no fire is actually burning, in the name of freedom of speech.
Freedom of speech, like any other privilege, comes with an obligation to use it wisely and responsibly. I question the editors’ decisions, and I think their issues have been inappropriately wrapped up in the very substantial debate over freedom of speech – such as speaking out for justice against oppression.
That said, I am glad that these murderers have been stopped. I also hope the editors who are left behind will make wiser decisions in the future, to avoid more incidents of violence. I believe this is the best way to honour their fallen colleagues’ legacy. I believe that you can be controversial and make your point without being grossly offensive in the process. In contrast, Charlie Hebdo seems to delight in offensiveness only for the sake of being offensive.
Many of my friends – particularly those who are journalists or former journalists – disagree with my stance on this issue. Some say that criticising the journalists who were killed indicts them for their own murders. To them I say, if I did not express my feelings on this, then I would be censoring myself, which would be extremely ironic under the circumstances.
- The reader is an American marketing specialist based in the UAE.
