French Political Direction Post-Attack of Charlie Hebdo

French Political Direction Post-Attack of Charlie Hebdo
By Farsjana Adeney-Risakotta

After  September  11,  2001, political Islam in the world spotlight because it is considered a source of chaos and violence that has an impact across national borders. But after the attacks that occurred in Paris recently, conducted by two citizens, and their group resulted in 10 journalists, cartoonists of satire magazine Charlie Hebdo, and two policies were killed, the world needs to review the allegations that are being built to political Islam. I argued that the local political dynamics in France are different from the practice of democracy in the United States be sized to pay attention to the assumptions associated with the spread of Islamic political violence in the world today. Frustation of the French Muslim community against the state in regulating the setting of democratic participation led to dissatisfaction which then exploded into violence.

French philosophers such as Voltaire thought through inspiring the United States to enforce its independence in ensure religious equality and participation of all people freely as far as awards to the separation between religion and state is applied to the balance. It takes time, until all American citizens to free expression, accept each other in building a democracy without   taking down  religious robes. Before  September 11, 2001, the rapidly growing Muslim in the United States still had not got a place in the public sphere. More than a decade later, Islam in the United States is part of an equivalent diversity among citizens in the United States. Declaration of Independence of the United States recognizes its founding in the power of God, even in the practice of political governance interventions separated from religion, it provides space for religious symbols and its representations of living with the community in a public space in which they interact. Here and there, tensions are still visible, but the openness of society to accept and interact began to awaken.

Reading the article from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar published  by TIME magazine dated January 9, 2015 after the tragic attacks to Charlie Hebdo offices, is  visible  an American Muslim’s pessimistic spirit to possible difficulties in the democratic changes in the position of religion in France after the violence. Abdul-Jabbar in his article has distinguished between the crime action of a person and the religious teaching. He wants to isolate the terror in Paris from blamming on Islam and encouraging his  people to continue tirelessly the process of transformation to build Islamic ethics so as to carry out the initiative because of the expectation of the same process on the part of the French public is not likely to occur. Ideology of "laïcité" implemented in France where the separation of state and religion happens to religious institutions undergoes a process of elimination of the sacred symbols which are around by secularism  as placed into an iron box  borrowing a phrase of Max Weber, giving a very small chance to citizens receiving fully their religious status.  A religion however provides identity and pride to its followers who turned out in the context of the French state is stripped so that no effect whatsoever.

French government after the violence against Charlie Hebdo more emphasizes on tightening the rules on immigration and citizenship education to community members associated with nationalism of the state that needs to be maintained. But nationalism state without giving space to every citizen to become a man of a  sincerely religious follower so that it can also provide  an inspiration for one's life will appear empty and dry.  French regulations issued in 2010 to prohibit the use of  “hijab” , crosses and turbans in public spaces that are funded by the government led to citizens split identity. Presentation citizens based on religions contains  about Catholic (51%), 30% agnostic, 4% Muslim, 3% Protestant,  1% respectively to refer to Judaism and Buddhism, whereas the rest no declaration of their beliefs.

Research shows that youth of France from a family agnosticism background chose to give their sympathy   to  muslim fighters in Syria. Nationalism to an increasingly fragile state due to tremendous pressure hinders citizens to find the meaning of life in their religion. Sooner or later the French government has to adjust the balance of power to release a person's efforts to grip his or her independence   in choosing and practicing religion as being equivalent to those who also reject religion.  Diversity in expressing themselves that drives satisfaction as described by Maslow should provide motivation for citizens to live more prosperous than  suspecting them as a terrorist group because of global faith connectedness  they have chosen.  Consideration of strengthening democratic values that actually emerged from the upheaval in the French thinkers should be returned in the form of the development of the nation's morality.  Breadth of the room to the religious actualizing and its fundamental rights without having to confuse it directly in politics occurred in countries such as the United States can reinforce the French back as a modern democratic country in the world today.

Terror in Paris, the battle between terrorists ending tragic!

Terror  in Paris, the battle between terrorists ending tragic!
An important learning lesson for the world.

By Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta
Intellectual freedom and expression part of the creativity that needs to be protected. Adherents view of liberal democracy struggle to protect freedom of speech in expressing him or herself. Freedom of speech is a sign of democracy that allows personal opinion and the group could be discussed in a public space. When his/her opinion must be defended, openly carried through in-depth discussion. Sometimes the defense delivered while mocking, laughing and insulting. Practice delivery extremes like this could lead to conflicts in the public sphere. Especially when actions expression occurs as a representation of social reality that is not balanced. Vulgar opinion may be supported by the dominant culture that needs to be defended by using defense materials that marginalize, discredit other communities. When resistance to discourse can not be established, then the act of violent defense becomes a reason to defend the insulted pride.

Currently the world is divided because, the world in which the spirit of freedom (liberte), equality (egalite) and fraternity (fraternite) that exist in the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise" as the motto of democracy as if it is being shaked.  France after terrorists killed 12 journalists and cartoonists of the magazine Charlie Hebdo for reasons of insulting the prophet of Islam, Muhammad SAW, what will change?  The violence was triggered because satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo use the protection of freedom of expression in the form of a cartoons to make the prophet Muhammad SAW, as a satire. The killers, who are the France citizens called terrorists moreover after there is recognition of the Al-Qaeda network was behind the attacks claimed the killings of prominent journalists and cartoonists from Charlie Hebdo. According to me, the term terrorist, not only addressed to the killers, but also those who killed who use freedom of speech to the professionalism of the expression of art to kill the characters of believers from different religions.

Citizen relations in social life in Paris became a challenge, as the relationship between the majority and minority. After the tragedy of the murder of the journalist, the world witnessed a fundamental problem in relation fellow citizens. Islam developed in France as part of the diversity in France, the number of adherents of approximately 4% of the total population who consider themselves Catholics (51%), 30% agnostic, 3% Protestant, and 1% respectively to convert to Judaism and Buddhism. Religion in France must adapt to the ideology of  “laïcité” set out in the Act of 1905 relating to the separation between church and state. In essence, public policy visible in public space, supported by the state must be sterilized from the influence of religion. Religion is a personal space that can only be impacted in private behind the walls of religious institutions and congregations.

Muslims in France are those from the former colonies, from North Africa, such as Algeria, Morocco and a small part of Turkey. The influence of French Algeria to the actual life of a very large form a new habit pattern in the way of food processing brighter because colored vegetables adorn the French culinary expression. Its influence is also seen in the use of geometric art with a touch of beautiful and magnificent architecture. The requirement for French-speaking citizens and adapt to the way of life of French culture, led to the immigrants who entered the French brought their culture to jointly build the French culture which emphasizes the detail expression to reveal the purity of beauty.

But in expressing his or her work, a citizen has to release his or herself from religion so that it looks merely human kind with rationality that makes it independent in thought and expression. A long philosophical tradition starting from Descartes, has produced a view of the separation of powers between religion and state (Montesquieu), where the power is in the hands of the people (Jean-Jacques Rousseau). Humans in itself is a source of strength to negotiate mutual relations of power for the sake of living together without being controlled by religious influences infiltrate the noble status of a person. Foundation of morality coexisting available in the free will of human kind him or herself. The philosopher Voltaire dag view of human independence in fulfilling the rights of civil society related to equal treatment before the law and freedom of religion.

As a country with a Catholic majority, the French look differently in operating the role of religions in the country. Hierarchical Catholicism controlled directly from the Vatican is the only influential territories around the policies and culture of the church. Discussions about the use of religious symbols in public spaces, such as schools, more exciting in France because of the efforts of moslem students wearing “hijab” to go to their school in  2004. Then beginning in 2010, a law was introduced to ban the  usage of religious symbols such as "hijab", crucifix and turbans publicly.  Although the Declaration of Human Rights and the citizen, which is set in 1789 include freedom of religion, but 
the country is free from the intervention of religion in public policy making.

Removal of blasphemy law in France occurred in  1791, but on July 29, 1881 set rules that ensure freedom of the press and of speech was  issued. Article 24, 32, 33 of the regulations governing the prohibition of press freedom publicly reporting derogatory, hate, hurt and humiliate individuals or groups of themselves or different. A French comic writer, M'bala M'bala penalties for violating the rules. He was accused of insulting the Jewish religion. Although the trend of using religious symbols become a commodity of the artist - journalists to sell as a source of inspiration to think and to laugh at as shown by Charlie Hebdo cartoonists which are free from the grip of press freedom laws. The reason is a carton satire of religious symbols departs from the freedom of thought.


Context and history of satire magazine Charlie Hebdo which produces prophet Muhammad cartoons published several times and has received criticism of Muslims from around the world.  French people also feel the government's policy contains a "double standard". It turns out that social sanctions without legal sanction violence led to the birth of the Islamic group in France who have long felt insulted their religion so gather the strength to attack the building magazine Charlie Hebdo and killed journalists, famous cartoonists who were in a meeting. Then there has been the recognition of the Al Qaeda network about their support behind the murder tragedy attack that killed 12 people. By the world community of this attack is known as a terrorist attack. Seeing the chronology of the efforts of journalist - cartoonists to publish the works of those who insult other religious symbols, then they even this should be called  terrorists.

Freedom of expression has robbed the sanctity of religious symbols to cast just a commodity that can be shown publicly.  They are not charged by the rules set out in 2010 in France on the negation of the use of religious symbols in public spaces. Cartoons as the work of thinking is taken of the influence of religious identity politics. In fact, in my opinion, religion is used as a symbol of the art products like the cartoons still indicates a non religious political identity to hostage  religious signs triggering defense reactions of those who destroyed their religious identity.  When press freedom laws relating to the prohibition of anti-hatred news delivery can not be enforced, the law of 2010 products at reasonable should also take action against journalists and cartoonists in sequence from within a few years produce cartoons which insulted Muslims in France.  The law that is not applied fairly, can make fellow French citizen of powerless groups who are disadvantaged,  eventually mess up order of the public sphere by acting vigilantly. True said in the Scriptures "paid tooth for a tooth". Intellectual terrorism ultimately fared passage before the religious terrorists is a source of teaching the world to do justice to all its citizens.