Being publicly disrespectful to religion – without penalty – is a test of whether we have a free society or not. And if we’re too scared to use the freedom, then the freedom doesn’t exist at all.”
Today marks the 11th anniversary of the tragic Charlie Hebdo terror attack on January 7th, 2015, when two Islamist gunmen, Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, stormed the satirical magazine’s offices in Paris. Shouting “Allahu Akbar” and claiming vengeance for the Prophet, they murdered 12 people, including renowned cartoonists like Charb (Stéphane Charbonnier), Cabu, and Wolinski and wounded 11 others in a brutal assault on free expression.
This wasn’t an isolated incident; Charlie Hebdo had faced threats before, including a 2011 firebombing of their offices for similar satirical cartoons. Yet, they persisted, with Charb famously declaring that he had no fear of retaliation because “I prefer to die standing than to live on my knees.” The attack was a stark reminder that free speech, especially the right to satirize, question, and even offend, is fundamental to open societies. It tests our resolve: if we self-censor out of fear, we’ve already lost the freedom.
We must not be intimidated. Instead, let us honour the victims by recommitting to defend free speech against all forms of extremism and censorship.
– Never forget, never yield.
