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Charlie Hebdo attack



Solidarity and divisions in the wake of terrorist attacks in France

















Place de la Republique, Paris. The terrorist attacks 'are tragedies for the victims and for their families and friends, but they are not by any stretch of the imagination a serious threat to western civilisation.' writes John Newsinger. Photograph: Michael Bunel/Corbis





Wednesday 14 January 2015 14.31 EST







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Western governments have played the major role in turning much of the Middle East into a cauldron of blood, and yet we respond with what can only be described as hysteria when affected by minor splashes. The brutal killing of the Charlie Hebdo journalists, of the Jewish victims (the most heinous of the killings in my opinion, given the history of persecution experienced by French Jews) and of the police are actually small beer compared with what western governments have been responsible for. They are tragedies for the victims and for their families and friends, but they are not by any stretch of the imagination a serious threat to western civilisation.
Nevertheless, they have provided a convenient occasion for a positive carnival of self-pity and self-congratulation. Paris is the capital of the world! What must the people of Gaza think of this posturing, posturing in which, quite shamefully, Benjamin Netanyahu was allowed to participate. And as for the west’s pen being mightier than the Islamist’s sword, what nonsense. In the real world it is the west’s drones, stealth bombers and smart bombs that are far mightier than any terrorist’s Kalashnikov. With all the bloodshed that is going on every day in the Middle East, we have by some strange alchemy managed to cast ourselves as the victims, bloodied but still brave and defiant in the face of a minor terrorist threat that has been exaggerated into some sort of existential Islamist onslaught.John NewsingerBrighton
• This pussyfooting around theology is becoming frustrating. Giles Fraser’s article (The cartoonists were smarter theologians than the jihadis, 11 January) is the first I’ve read in your paper that unpicks the cod-theology of this latest group of young and immature terrorists. But there is much more to be said and discussed that is relevant to our current problems. A secular British media should not shy away from discussing modern theological beliefs. It is, as my tutor at university once told me, a necessary precursor to political discourse. Please take all of our communities seriously and engage in a discussion of their beliefs, whether you agree with them or not.David EdgeworthWoodford Green, Essex
• After the great flood of journalistic output resulting from the horrendous acts in Paris last week, it was a great relief to finally read someone prepared to take a deeper, less emotive look at the perpetrators and their motivations (Gary Younge: This polarised debate won’t help us move on from Charlie Hebdo, 12 January). That the many young men who go to Syria to fight for Islamic State or claim allegiance to various al-Qaida affiliates have, to them, justifiable motivations should not be denied by the use of reductive terms such as terrorism or criminality. What makes these young men so prey to Islamic radicalisation?
Could the answer, as Younge goes some way to recognising, be found in a nexus where extreme versions of Islam are seen by some to act as a counter-balance to or even a refuge from the extreme form of capitalism increasingly dominating the globe, the marginalisation and sense of frustration this creates across whole swaths of society, and the diet of real and imagined victimisation of Muslims in countries from Iraq to India available via TV and the internet. If we wish to cure an illness, it is important to remain calm and analytical in face of the symptoms in order that we are better able to identify the causes.Peter HudsonDirector, Rainbow Development in Africa
• Monday’s Guardian (12 January) had pictures of “17 people killed in Paris”. But 20 died. The difference is the word “victim”. The three terrorists are also victims. They are today’s unemployed youth, the dregs of every big city, without hope and without a mission. Doubling security forces on the streets won’t solve their problem. They need jobs and, in order to get that job when it comes along, they need good education. That’s where Charlie should spend his money.Michèle YoungBrighton
• The headline of Natalie Nougayrède’s front-page article “A nation united against terror” (12 January) referred of course to France in its horror and grief at recent events, but it equally could have referred to the countries of the EU who came out in support. If ever an event demonstrated the power and solidarity of nations working together, rather than singly and individually, then the rallies of unity in France demonstrated this. Nations pulling together in this way, showing tolerance to all, give the lie to the arguments of those who trash this unique institution. Do Nigel Farage and other Eurosceptics who favour separation have anything valuable or relevant to say after this?Janet DaviesHartley Wintney, Hampshire
• Recent events in France have done much to highlight the role of the cartoonist in political satire. Another forgotten example that seems particularly apposite is that of Naji al-Ali, who was assassinated on the streets of London in 1987. Yet there appears to have been no recent mention of him or his work in any of the various media outlets. His reputation largely rested on the character Handala, depicted as an orphaned child who became a symbol for the poor and dispossessed, in particular the Palestinian people. His work often invoked or offended the sensibilities of both the Arab and Israeli leadership, in equal measure. It is a reminder that while the pen may be mightier than the sword, it may require no less bravery to wield it.Graham OgdenDundee
• Phoned our local newsagent, superstore and WH Smith to ask if they will be stocking this week’s special edition of Charlie Hebdo. In each case they barely knew what I was on about, two of them asking me to spell the name of the publication. Precious little awareness, let alone solidarity, from retailers here, it seems.David HemsworthHaywards Heath, West Sussex
• My Dutch-Moroccan Muslim in-laws are overwhelmed with fear and confusion by the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo outrage. Dare they stay in the cosmopolitan city of Amsterdam where most of them were born and where I – a British Jew – met their oldest brother? Or are they to be driven out by a rising tide of contempt for their beliefs and culture? Supporters of Charlie Hebdo’s front-page cartoon call it an act of defiance in support of freedom of speech. How have we allowed defence of a good principle to degenerate into self-righteous insistence on a right to insult millions of powerless people?Naomi Wimborne-IdrissiWoodford Green, Essex
• Re the words “All is forgiven” on Charlie Hebdo’s cover. It’s already been said, over 2,000 years ago, and in the Middle East. “Father forgive them”, and then He added, “they know not what they do”.Julia PhillipsBath



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more on this story














The Guardian view on counter-terror cooperation: walking the line

Editorial: After the Paris attacks, Europe needs to engage afresh with Muslim nations, but not at the expense of basic rights



Published: 20 Jan 2015




The Guardian view on counter-terror cooperation: walking the line












EU calls for anti-terror alliance with Arab countries

European Uunion’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, calls for more cooperation and information sharing between nations



Published: 19 Jan 2015




EU calls for anti-terror alliance with Arab countries












Belgian ‘jihadi leader’ remains free despite two arrests in Greece

Police are seeking Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, in connection with Thursday’s gun battle in Verviers, which left two dead



Published: 18 Jan 2015




Belgian ‘jihadi leader’ remains free despite two arrests in Greece












Soldiers to guard Belgian Jewish sites as Europol warns of further attacks

Protection stepped up across Europe – with UK police on highest alert level ever – in wake of series of terrorist incidents



Published: 17 Jan 2015




Soldiers to guard Belgian Jewish sites as Europol warns of further attacks














UK police on highest ever terror alert after Belgian arrests




Published: 16 Jan 2015




UK police on highest ever terror alert after Belgian arrests








Stopping all terrorist attacks is impossible, says Europol chief




Published: 17 Jan 2015




Stopping all terrorist attacks is impossible, says Europol chief








Paris attackers may have links with Spanish terrorist cell




Published: 15 Jan 2015




Paris attackers may have links with Spanish terrorist cell








All hail optimism, for nostalgia offers nothing but the dust of the dead

Harry Leslie Smith




Published: 16 Jan 2015




All hail optimism, for nostalgia offers nothing but the dust of the dead
















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