Cold blooded murder and terror is barbaric, shooting journalists or cartoonists in a magazine is deplorable, it is indefensible. Killing is always a grave offense against God. I would certainly want to show support with the dead, the injured and the bereaved. Terror must always be met with the full force of the law, there should be no hiding place for those who killed at the Charlie Hebdo office. Nothing can justify the killing of the innocent.The Paris killings are deeply troubling, they show the problem of a dominant society that contains a minority that do not share its values, in fact a group that has values that are directly opposed to its values and find those values deeply offensive. France likes to think of itself as the epitome of the secular state and is therefore incapable of understanding the deep offense caused to religious sentiment by offensive imagery.
Many of those protesting the Charlie Hebdo murders on the streets of European cities are presumably not merely liberal secularists but members of the far right too, an alliance of the two is highly worrying, especially for a society like many in the West that are dependent for basic services on recently arrived immigrants, primarily because their own birthrate is so low.There have been suggestions that the Charlie Hebdo murders were an attack on free speech but France like the rest of the West is against homophobic, rascist, sexist speech and has laws to restrict that kind of freedom. Charlie Hebdo is actually purile and offensive though it might be seen as court jester of French liberal establishment. It is not freedom of speech it defends but its own right to be gratuitously insulting, take a look at some of its front covers, some of which seem to be in the style of that German satirical publication of the 20s, 30s and 40s. It is a mark of any civilised society that all its members have some entitlement to be treated with respect. In a healthy society one moderates one's tone and uses language which is respectful, especially of an underclass or minority which is potentially explosive.
The Charlie Hebdo murders should invite greater freedom of speech, perhaps revisiting Pope Benedict's Regensburg lecture should certainly
cause us to ask why Islam and the sword often go hand in hand, the vast
majority of Muslims are the victims of murderous thugs rather than the
thugs themselves but the relationship of Islam and violence needs to discussed. So too does the State's relationship with justice which was raised in his Berlin address earlier in his visit. The West contains a great number of disengaged young men and women who are increasingly alienated from our society, laws no longer bind, there are swathes of our society who make up their own rules, who have their own codes and see the establishment as corrupt and oppressive.
69 comments:
Agree that the murders are indefensible--and spare a thought and a prayer for the poor policemen, who caused no offence to anyone.
Charlie Hebdo did cross the line of decency and good taste, and there's a strong case to be made for censorship. (Almost everyone believes in censorship; it's just that many don't like to use that word.)
But it's also telling that it wasn't Christians or Jews who committed these crimes. Mohammedanism will only become a religion of peace when it repudiates Mohammed.
I recall the brilliant Benedict Carter in Holy Smoke days commenting on a perceived outrage by the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris against the restoration of the Latin mass: "Come in no. 23 your time is up"! Great stuff and witty. What Charlie Hebdo offered, however, was highly contrived and gratuitously offensive invoking the name of "freedom" in doing so. The template in France has always been anti-Catholicism which has been ported across to Islam. The mass hysteria generated by these killings does not augur well and none of us have any idea as to where are elites will now take us.
Given the disgusting covers which you have displayed, I, most certainly, am not Charlie.
Fr. those covers are disgusting. The final one is Sacrilege, I am appalled that a priest would republish such filth! The first one, maybe even the second, would be more than enough to illustrate your point but including the final one made me feel ill. I ask that you remove at least the final cover to help prevent the spread of such foul things.
Thank you, Father, for your very enlightening post. I can only describe "Charlie" as poisonous and deliberately hurtful to Catholics. Just because we have stopped being offended, doesn't mean that others have.
Thank you for a thoughtful post Fr Ray, at a time when much of the commentary is rushing to predictable barricades.
Dear Father,
Yes, please take down those images.
Charlie Hedbo is clearly an appalling publication. One thing that has bothered me this last day or so has been all the comment - on the wireless, especially - about the "right to free speech". It seems to me that it's not the "right to free speech" that is at issue here, but the right not to be murdered.
I agree very strongly with Tony V, in all that he has said. In particular, I think I've never met anyone who didn't agree with consorship in principle, including those who have been most forthrght in their pretence of baing against it on principle. We all draw a line somwhere.
Publishing obscene, blasphemous, and deeply offensive literature is evil. Murder is evil. It is barbaric and totally unacceptable, but not perhaps that surprising, that the first should lead to the second, particularly when the literature deliberately grossly insults the religious sensibilities of so many. Have to say Father, that I rather share the views of Dominic Maria and JARay regarding the covers displayed in your post.
Yes, Father, remove those evil blasphemous and obscene images. They are an offence against Almghty God and ought not to be displayed. Even apart from the direct attack on God, against the First Commandment, they are obscene, perverse. Have people become so innured to blasphemy and obscenity? Horrific. Lord, have mercy. If practising Catholics were cathechised continually and the moral evils continually decried, more people would have some basic moral discernment and good will. Blessed Michael, defend us in battle . . .
I have made the point politely to one or two people, that of course there can be no justification for murder, but the question of gratuitous insult needs addressing. I had not even seen the totally offensive covers you show here, Fr, but was aware that the prevailing tone in secular journalism is one of insult and offense directed at all that is good as well as bad. May I humbly ask if the rebuke should read "Je ne suis pas Charlie"?!
Oui, je ne suis pas Charlie.
Vive le Roi, a bas la Republique.
I've said this on FB and I shall say it again here.
"I think that the events of yesterday are the result of an unstoppable force, meeting an immovable object; the Editorial staff of Charlie Hebdo were emboldened by the previous attacks on the magazine by muslims and (whatever you think of the magazine's content) possessed a certain sort of bravery in confronting the issues surrounding Islamic extremism and the place of muslims in French Society/ European society, that the mainstream press were either too PC (as Tuesday's Newsnight was) or too afraid of to address. They were either very brave or very stupid; probably a little of both"
I think that the Je Suis Charlie bandwagon is more of a show of solidarity with the dead and the ideals of freedom of expression (whatever you think of that), I can only hope that the Fourth Estate take their jobs seriously, now that their own have been killed by 'the religion of peace'.
I completely agree with you Father. I'm not a fan, but here in the States Bill Donahue of the Catholic League has been lambasted for a similar though harsh take. His comments have been compared to blaming rape victims for their attire, but I think what Charlie did was more akin to taunting a wild beast. Those covers and others are horribly offensive, I wish I'd never seen them. Were I Muslim I think I would sympathize with the killers.
I took mine down. They really are appalling, but people have to know and a picture is worth a thousand words, or something to that effect.
Isn't provocation one of the ways we share in the sin of another? Charlie Hebdo goaded, inflamed and provoked with its malicious caricatures. I ask myself what would have happened to such a magazine if it posted some of those Nazi caricatures and cartoons about Jews. Freedom is not an absolute and there are rules and courtesies we pay others. I do not get the French who invited and allow 10 million Muslims to live in their land then get shocked if some of them should follow the example set by Mohamed and clearly taught by the Koran. It is like inviting strangers to stay or even move into one's house them mocking and deriding them because it is called freedom and getting indignant when they respond according to their ideology and in anger. Better to be discerning.
Liberty is chaos, equality is injustice, fraternity based upon class war? The French are wrong. Yes the Police were the victims. Charlie Hebdo should have been tried in Court just as their murderers should and will be.
Charlie Hebdo crossed some important boundaries just as those thugs did!
There is political terrorism, and religious terrorism which is what we are faced with now and increasingly in the future. It has nothing to do with free speech.
Offensive images are something which any soundly based religious group can cope with, however much individuals may be upset. Murder, as a reaction, indicates only the essentially evil nature of that religious philosophy.
This terrorism stems largely from elements in an immigrant population, increasingly tolerated and required because of the low birth rate caused by universal acceptance of sex as a social activity and right and therefore of birth control. The evil and unforeseen repercussions of this on our society are only now beginning to be realised.
As for the connection between Islam and the sword, just look in the Koran.
Now I don’t know how our society will cope with this over the coming decades, but as for reasoning with Islam, that will not work!
'Je ne suis pas Charlie'! Moi non plus.
Thank you for articulating what many have felt about this vile publication. Equally offensive was the one of Pope Benedict holding a condom above his head whilst saying "this is my body". What the defenders of Charlie Hebdo don't seem to want to take on board is the fact that freedom implies responsibility and that plain human decency implies respect for the beliefs held by others.
As to the covers, they are disgusting, but if your readers were not made aware of them, I wonder if there might be a temptation to be complacent about the equally offensive - to Muslims - attacks on Islam.
Father,
Don't take the images down. We Catholics (indeed all Christians) need to be aware of the filth directed at our Faith, and I had no idea of the depth of depravity published by this magazine. It is as well that we know precisely what is directed at our Faith, without you publishing the images, I would have been in ignorance, and would have thought that "Charlie" was similar to "Private Eye". There is actually no comparison.
Actually I think it useful to bring these images into the light so that one can see what it is all about and what people are seemingly supporting. What strikes me is the very poor quality of the cartoons - they are not in the least funny but merely puerile and obscene. It is difficult to understand how supposedly intelligent people could produce such rubbish. I doubt whether any good cartoonist would want to be associated with such poor examples of their art.
Of course the murders are totally unacceptable and evil but I think we need to dialogue with Muslims and not insult them. The problem is that there are passages in the Koran which seem to justify evil deeds and all Muslims believe that every word in the Koran is the word of God. There is therefore a very real problem with mainstream Islam. We need to dialogue with the majority of Muslims who do not accept the actions of extremists in order to persuade them to reform their religion so as to cut out and reject these extremist ideas. This means rejecting the idea that everything in the Koran is the word of God. It is going to be very difficult to persuade them. At the same time we should try and persuade them of the truth of the Christian religion.
There was an interesting debate in the House of Commons recently when there seemed to be a great deal of agreement that the Muslim authorities were not doing enough to resolve these problems within Islam.
Dear Father,
Yes, I agree with the last two posts: it is very important for us to see just what blasphemies were carried out so that we can make reparation. Could some blogger start a petition of reparation to the Sacred Heart for the offences committed against Him and His church?
One question that hasn't been asked is: were the 'journalists' at Charlie Hebdo satanists because you'd have to pretty close to satan in order to come up with that sacrilege, wouldn't you?
May these journalists have had the foresight to ask God to forgive them with their dying breath!
As I said before, the first one or even two images though offensive do serve a point. It is going overboard though to show such disgusting sacrilegious filth as contained in the third cover. Such blasphemy should not be perpetuated, even a mere description though horrible would have served the purpose of illustration! Again I ask you Fr. to please remove that image.
Thank you for posting the pictures, Father. I have never heard of this magazine before. With all the "freedoms" of this or that, comes the responsibility to use it wisely. "Freedom of expression" does not give any of us the privilege to say whatever we want.
Like you, Fr Ray, I'm no Charlie. Indeed, I saw the offensive covers earlier, and decided not to link to them.
Luckily, Catholics can deplore the murders, without identifying with the victims.
Fr. the covers are horrible. I know we have to have an idea of the filth that Charlie Hebdo was publishing; but these are too much. I fear that you are inadvertently helping the wrong side. It will take a long time for me to forget those images. Please stop spreading the awful covers.
Dominic Maria is right. It is immoral to republish such blasphemous and obscene filth. The point can be made without subjecting any person who goes onto your blog with this. A person can be told where to find such pictures, if they really need verification. An innocent person, including possibly children coming to read your article or blog ought not see such inherently evil pictures. How blunted have people sensibilities become due to sin! Please remove them immediately. Thank you. Lord, have mercy.
Whilst I find the images disgraceful they cannot & must not be used as an excuse for murder. Only action by the Islamic courts & leaders will lead to these crimes stopping - at least in the name of God or Allah. Such people are murderers who use Islam as an excuse to murder but by telling them that murder leads to Hell not Paradise they can no longer commit these crimes under the pretence of religion. Today in Paris we see further acts committed in the name of Islam against (it would seem) Jews. We know that neither Islam nor Judaism leads to salvation but neither should it lead to the murders.
Well done Father Ray, you have said what most people are afraid to say. It is more truthful than than the GARBAGE we have been forced to listen to for 48 hrs
As disgusting as these images are, I will not remove them, in part because many people assume Hebddo is a satirical magazine rather than one which sets out to offend and blaspheme.
Whilst we must have every sympathy for the staff members killed, and must pray for them, I have no sympathy for their magazine, it should be seen for what it is.
Puerile, vulgar, smutty, blasphemous, the publication certainly is, produced by arrested-development adults who have played at being enfants terribles, God rest their poor souls. I support Fr. Blake's decision to publish. Know your enemy.
However, I am not convinced the crowds who turned out were actually supporting the magazine per se. Rather, it was a way of saying 'je suis français'. It is significant that the youth interviewed said they never read the magazine and that it was their parents who did which, naturally, gives the lie to France being the grown-up, sophisticated nation it proclaims itself to be.
The next magazine will be a sell-out, that's for sure, but it will fall away again to its small, sniggering, adult-adolescent niche market. Despite itself, despite the Revolution, the core of France remains ingrained with centuries of Christianity.
Prayers for the hostages who died today, not for doing but for being. The hate is not just for a corrupt western establishment but for anyone who refuses to submit to the cult of Islam in its most extreme form.
There is a difference between liberty and licence, of course, but to my mind, the real lesson for all of mankind to reflect on following the Charlie Hebdo horror is this:
"'Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 'I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish'." Luke 13:4-5
From a sudden, violent, unexpected, and unprovided death, may Jesus deliver us all!
As I understand Catholic moral theology, the greater sin is with Charlie rather than the terrorists.
Given how vile and reprehensible the Charlie people are, all I can say about the terrorists is "who am I to judge?"
Dear Fr. Blake, you really should remove the images - maybe link to them - but remove them from your site. The last one demands prayers of reparation for blasphemy.
MAY the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified, in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
Well done Father for being back in form after the Christmas period. Can I suggest you correct your French? Secondly "Je suis Charlie" is a pun working on 3 levels:
I am
I follow (from the verb suivre)
Plus, typographically, Je suis looks like Our Lord's name.
Thank very much for this Father.
#JeSuisCatholique
" France like the rest of the West is against homophobic, rascist, sexist speech and has laws to restrict that kind of freedom." This worries me very much - we cannot speak freely about important subjects like sexual morals or the role of women or race. Paul http://pvewood.blogspot.ro/2015/01/the-internet-talks-about-atrocities-in.html
Well, the covers are disgusting. I got tears in my eyes. I get tears in my eyes every time I see or hear people mocking God, using holy images for depraved purposes, desecrating the Blessed Sacrament. But Jesus Christ allowed his enemies to abuse His Body and nail Him to a cross and said "Father forgive them, they know not what they do", so I feel sorry for these poor little intellectual pygmies who think themselves giants and do not know the glory of faith in a living, loving God. AND will defend their right to say, think, publish what they like. It says nothing about God or the Church, and everything about them. If we side with terrorist murderers by saying some things are too offensive I think it is a shame.
turn the other cheek! would be easier and make more sence or is it the drama you wish.
shame on you shame on the weak minded you brainwash
and wait for the back lash from the poor sad mis-guided religous fools
THE BIBLE STATES YOU SHOULD TURN THE OTHER CHEEK
XXX
@ PVE Wood
The double standard is extraordinary and blatantly obvious. I suspect it was awareness of this double standard which prompted "Charb" and his friends to move away from anti-Catholic rhetoric and into the uncertain World of anti-Islamist "comedy". Their own personal bodyguard was a daily reminder of their own fraudulence and hypocrisy as a group of journalists who actually had campaigned for mass immigration into Western Europe from Muslim countries. There is far more to this mess than the buffoons in Trafalgar Square can possibly understand.
"Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." Many Muslims were offended by what was perceived as a denigration of Muhammad, and many reacted violently. For others it may simply have been false indignation or the assumption of offence by non-Muslims. In his book, Manuel II then continues, saying, "God is not pleased by blood – and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death..."
Lucy, No one is "sid[ing] with terrorist murderers". Don't fall for a false illogical dichotomy put out by MSM propaganda to control people's behaviour. One needs to be very sceptical about what one is fed by government-scripted reports put out uniformly by the MSM. There is no real journalism in the MSM. One needs to go to independent Media. As for France and US (and other) intelligence agencies - they are continuously involved in fomenting wars and creating "terrorist" events so they can take more and more natural rights and freedoms from people as they build an evermore tyrannical and militarised state.
France is a tyrannical anti-Catholic, anti-Natural Law state.
Father Blake,
Leave the link, please, although it shows disgusting images, strong, moral persons should be able to handle it, even while repelled. It brings into 3D and glorious Technicolor, widescreen reality what is actually what. These disgusting pictures expose the reality of CH : it is an absolutely disgusting rag deliberately inviting retribution by the foul jihadists with their continual provocation of people’s sincerely-held convictions, come what may. The sewer rats could not care less what others think, that’s their basic problem and represents, very accurately, the true face of socialism. Everyone needs to know the real truth, it will set us free.
Many in France are currently out on the streets marching for the “right” to be subversive, to revolt decent people, to disgust those with a sense of morality, all in the name of “Freedom” when they actually mean licence (licentiousness, the ability, the “right” to do anything they want, without reserve or hindrance).
All at CH were fully aware of Islamic retaliation, no surprises there. Come on, everyone knows what Islamic retribution is. CH pushed far, far beyond the boundaries of decency. It is a filthy, deliberately offensive, degrading, mocking and outrageous publication. If not, then, for Heaven’s sake, what on God’s earth is ? We pray for their eternal souls.
But, Dear Father Blake, I’m afraid you have slipped in possibly conflating the “right wing” and liberal secularists acting together ? They are on different pages, different books. The government (strictly speaking Jen-Luc Mélenchon, the now Socialist “ex” Communist, but in reality the obnoxious Vals and the failure Hollande) have banned participation of the Front National in the march today, all in the name of Liberté etc (excuse me while I vomit). Decent people, there are very many, are so outraged, but the great unwashed are to go out on the streets in the name of “Freedom” for filth to be published.
One or two facts :
1. The French so stupidly, never ever thought they would be attacked by Islamic terrorists and now it has happened they are completely flummoxed, haven’t got a clue what to do next. And they are absolutely terrified at the thought of Islamic insurrection
2. These abominable crimes were committed in broad daylight, in full view of everyone’s smart phones/cameras.
3. The French absolutely adore comics (bandes dessinés).
4. The CH editor, a lifelong Communist, had/has been in a 3 year liaison with a former Minister of State of the last Government, Jeannette Bougrab. This is denied by the Communist’s family, naturally, but the minister has made a video stating her viewpoint and released personal photographs.
During the week when less than 20 (thank goodness, we were expecting even more) French people were brutally killed, 2,000 Christians were massacred in the most horrible manner in Nigeria by Boko Haram, but they are only blacks, so who’s going to go onto the streets for them ?
Marine Le Pen’s speech (in French) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFwog468YwY#t=34
http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=949&lang=en
http://www.parismatch.com/Actu/Societe/Jeannette-Bougrab-Personne-ne-pourra-m-enlever-ma-relation-avec-Charb-687040 “No-one can take away my friendship/ relation with Charb”
The French internet is most interesting at the moment, but, in the main, extremely unlikeable, as the socialists are up in arms for “Freedom”.
Moi, je ne suis pas Charlie.
Just a heads-up, Father. Jeremiah Methusaleh's last posting contains a link to a site that my McAffee antivirus program notes is unsafe.
The link mentions 'african success'. Just sayin'
Dear Father would you mind advertising the blog of St Agatha's- a former Anglo Catholic church, then TAC before joining the Ordinariate. The Church is filled with fittings and furnishings which were ripped out by the Spirit of Vat II or were taken from redundant churches. We also have one of the best vestment collections in the UK. Thank you Father
portsmouthmission.wordpress.com
Moi, je suis Charlie Martel.
non "Je suis Charlie"
mais "Jesus le Roi"
Chris Pembroke said
Thanks Fr for showing the photos of the cover of Charlie Hebdo. I did read that they were crude pornography. But wording leaves one with no real idea. Once you see the pictures its obvious what type of magazine this is. It has nothing to do with freedom of speech. In fact it is rally abuse of free speech. It promotes wrong doing and damages ones wellbeing. I realise that Je suis non charlie
http://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/1414-reflections-on-the-perpetual-french-revolution
The appropriate response to puerile cartoonists drawing puerile cartoons is more cartoons mocking the puerile cartoonists.
The reparatory devotions of the First Friday to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the First Saturday to the Immaculate heart of Mary are more crucial now than ever:- http://gloria.tv/media/Pxc2coJE65S
and http://gloria.tv/media/gwy8CAkMyfp
Please consider doing them.
I believe it is je ne suis pas Charlie I hope your Latin is better than your French
Consolamini, Gosh! It is it?
Never mind what the correct French is: we should all be using Latin. Non sum Carolus - or perhaps Carolulus for the diminutive.
It seems that the next issue of Charlie Hebdo is to feature a cartoon of the prophet Mohammed.
Some people never learn.
Non sum Carolum.
These are the first comments I have read from the English side as I have just returned from Paris and I have found them interesting.
Yes, Charlie Hebdo has published many disgusting cartoons lampooning Christ, the Popes, French Cardinals and priests in general. (No I have never read it but you can't help noticing the covers in the newsagents there particularly when Pope Benedict visited Paris and Lourdes in 2008)
However, this is actually nothing new as France has a history of lampooning the Church - at the time of the separation of Church and state over 100 years ago many postcards were produced in a similar vein as the cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo. Priests, nuns and the Pope of the time were regarded as 'fair game' and as such cards are not rare it is presumed that they were produced in large numbers.
Last weekend was quite surreal but the heightened security in force did help life to be carried on as normal even if people were obviously preoccupied. I even had my bag searched before entering Notre Dame for Mass though as it was dark and the young man did it by torchlight I didn't think it was very thorough.
We were read a letter from Cardinal 23 and asked to pray for not only those who had died - by then 17 people had been killed including a young policewoman - but also for the terrorists and their families. In the newsletter of Notre Dame was printed a message from Pope Francis and another from a multi-religion organisation both deploring the deaths.
It was impossible for me to ignore the march as I was staying 5 minutes away from the Place de la Republique and unknown to me up to this week a short walk away from the offices of Charlie Hebdo which for obvious reasons were unmarked. I went to the enormous square just as the last of the marchers were leaving and the Place was given over mainly to young people waving tricoleurs from the top of the statue and chanting the Marseillaise. The statue represents Freedom for the French including freedom of the Press and the deaths of the journalists and cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo because of what they have drawn has been regarded as an attack on this Freedom. This is what the people were marching for.
Incidentally the Heads of State only walked 300 yards before being ferried away and the pavements were cleared of any onlookers long before their arrival. They did not actually march with the people! Snipers were on the roofs and the last time I saw so many police in one place was in Lourdes during Pope Benedict's visit.
PS I was amused at Fr Hunwicke's comment of 'hysterical claptrap.' I think it went too far when all the various French tv channels' newsreaders have been wearing black ties or black dresses and some the 'Je suis Charlie' badges. Some channels even had a black band in the corner.
I lost count of how many shrines have been made in the area with candles and flowers, drawings and slogans piled high on the pavements.
@Liam Ronan
Thank you Liam for the warning. I checked the link and found no problems and have great confidence in my AV protection systems, none is 100% perfect, unless you can afford Sophos perhaps.
Here is the content for those who fear to tread :
Born on 26/08/1973 (format : day/month/year)
Biography :
Jeannette Bougrab born August 26, 1973, is French and of Algerian origin. Trained as a jurist, she was in charge of the Halde, high authority for the fight against racial inequality, where she succeeded Louis Schweitzer, the ex-president of Renault.
On 14 November, she was named secretary of State in the new goverment in France under prime Minister François Fillon.
She comes from a gaulist background, her spiritual godfather being the famous gaulist Pierre Mazaud who had her join the executive council for integration under the UMP when Alain Juppé was the President of the UMP and was given the task of reflecting on the problem of discrimination and employment.
With a Phd in law, ex militant with SOS Racisme, Jeannette Bougrab became national secretary of the UMP in charge of new membership in 2004.
BTW,
“The link mentions 'african success'. Just sayin'”. The overwhelming proportion of Africans are good people and a huge proportion of them suffer daily because of the evil corruption of their leaders, it’s hard to think of an exception. Anyone who knows Africa well will confirm this statement. Ordinary African people value education very highly, but it is so often far out of their reach, which is one reason I have not attempted to correct the above extract, almost certainly written by someone with English as a 2nd or even 3rd language.
And let us remember those good, brave fully Catholic bishops who saved the recent meetings in Rome from a shameful fiasco. They were mainly Africans.
Just saying.
And “Consolamini”, I hope you got a kick out of your posting. Maybe no-one is above criticism, but that, well, it’s an abuse of “Freedom of Speech” AFAIAC. Shame on you.
One of the Charlie Ebdo journalists said on Radio 4 tonight that they found it hilarious and laughed out loud in mockery at the news that the bells of Notre Dame were rung in honour of their colleagues who had been killed. They said that anyone who wears a "Je suis Charlie" badge is agreeing with radical secularism because that is what the magazine stands for and will continue to campaign for.
The Catholic Church has converted millions of Muslims throughout its history. The Catholic faith is the only set of principles which has made headway against Islam. Now that the Church has joined the boy scouts by abandoning most of its teachings and peddling bogus notions of ecumenism, human rights and freedom of speech, how the Muslims must laugh at us! Islam requires conversion, not slaughter.
Our society is saturated with blasphemous mockery of true religion. But Charlie Hebdo, unlike other radical secularist publications, added to this the mockery of the false and vulgar religion of Muhammadanism which ought to be mocked. That alone is heroic and a move in the right direction.
We won't convert anyone with mockery and vulgarity. St. Peter admonished us to be always ready to give reasons for the hope that is within us, but always to do so with charity and courtesy. We can argue clearly, witness strongly, criticise false reasoning, oppose untruth and expose error, but if we descend to using the enemy's tactics we merely do the enemy's work by degrading our own dignity and alienating potential converts. Actually, another Charlie Ebdo editor said today that the magazine was about to go out of business due to rapidly falling circulation and financial failure, but these events have brought it back from the brink. That's what has been achieved by these evil men. The enemy is a very clever chess player, we must not be drawn into his game. Faith, hope and charity are our weapons; and the greatest of these is charity.
Thomas mentions that the bells of Notre Dame tolled for the journalists who died. And I have just read that one of the French Bishops asked all the churches in his diocese to do the same.
It does seem rather ironic especially when a commenter has written that a few years ago he asked if bells could be tolled on Holy Innocents day in memory of all babies aborted and his request was refused. Could be a different Bishop but it makes you think.
@Jim Mitchell.
What good does mocking Islam do? There was an excellent Panorama program on the BBC on Monday night. Several moderate Muslims were interviewed and they all said the danger was the growth of a NON-VIOLENT extremist version of Islam which was spreading in the UK. Another label was Puritanical Islamism. In the words of one this is taking Muslims by the hand and leading them right up to the front door. Such as ISIS then open that front door and take them into violent extremism.
Sara Khan of Inspire and Adam Deen of the Deen Institute, amongst others who spoke on the programme, are just two Muslims who have a profound understanding of what what is happening in the Muslim community, the dangers of this non-violent version of Islam and how Islam needs to be reformed. Understanding what is going on is a key to solving the problems.
Charlie Hebdo is not part of freedom of speech. There are rules to be followed in public discourse. Whoever would lead someone to faith (or any position) needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death..." This also concerns any position or opinion. Both Islam and Charlie Hebdo violate the respect with which public argument and debate should have in order to "convince a reasonable soul". Humour is based upon reality. Yet it ceases to be humour once it lies or mocks so as to misrepresent. It is no longer funny.
Charle Hebdo and Islam are unreasonable as both rely upon terror of different sorts. One of violent sarcasm, the other of violence.
Sadly, it was reported that the staff of CH mocked that the Notre Dame bells had been tolled. An unwise gesture was a wasted gesture.
"Nothing can justify the killing of innocence" I agree but under no circumstances can 'Charlie' be deemed 'innocent'
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