To Prevent Another Charlie Hebdo, Reconsider the Example of Muhammed

There is no shortage of condemnations of the horrific attack on the journalists at Charlie Hebdo.

There are also the halfhearted condemnations with thinly veiled victim blaming. Freedom of expression doesn't mean the freedom to offend seem to be the tagline with these arguments.

Then there is the usual cacophony claiming this has NOTHING to do with Islam, that the attackers are not "true Muslims" and that this type of attack goes against the example of Muhammed.

Some claim that this is not about criticism of Islam or insulting Muhammed, but simply about imagery of Muhammed, supposedly banned in Islam. Charlie Hebdo has been irreverent towards religious symbols and beliefs of all major religions. So why is it that only Islamic beliefs about images of Muhammed need to be respected? Why does Islam require special treatment?

Accusations of racism or false analogies with racist cartoons do not make much sense either. Islam or Muslim is not a race, it is simply an ideology. Muslims belong to almost every race and ethnicity.

This is about Muslims being unwilling to face criticism of Islam and Muhammed. Read more

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