The threat to liberty-- to freedom of religion, conscience, intellect, and speech-- isnt restricted to authoritarianism in domestic governments. Liberty is threatened every time foreign radicals silence a voice they dont like, and cause us to put a personal price tag on the sharing of opinions. Stephane Charbonnier was a Communist who hated religion, including Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. His incarnation of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo served in the long tradition of secular, left-wing French nihilism that propagated his views, and a talented staff that worked with him to accomplish that goal. Obviously, his views were rarely compatible with the evangelical Protestant faith I cherish, and the conservative political views I hold as well. And that doesnt even matter. Christianity ought to be open to the most brutal criticism, and it is. So should Islam. And we need leaders in the West who will stand up and state without equivocation that freedom of inquiry, freedom of expression, and freedom of speech are non-negotiable values of our culture, and that if that means our sacred beliefs are challenged, all the better. The truth will withstand challenge every time. Its the nature of truth. A century ago, we agreed that nationalism was fatal to the cause of peace, and condemned it as such. Seventy-five years ago, we agreed that fascism, its mutant cousin, was a present danger to basic human freedom, whether it took a German, Italian, or Japanese form. When fascism was defeated, we called out Communism for what it is: oppressive, soul-stifling, militaristic by distractive necessity. We cant do that with Islamism and jihadism, because for whatever reason, were afraid. Were afraid because the cultural moral compass that guided us to a recognition that these twentieth-century evils were so lethal has been utterly disregarded in favor of a relativism that has decided that our Western civilization in the tradition of Judeo-Christian faith and Greco-Roman philosophy, replete with problems but regardless the envy of the world, is itself no more desirable than anything else the world has to offer culturally. Our leaders need to stand up and call out this problem. Its Islamic jihadism. Just say it. And rally us to relegate it to the incinerator of human history where it belongs. Just do it. Were under attack-- the whole West. And no more proof is needed than 12 dead in Paris for simply holding opinions tonight. Ça fait sûrement un peu pompeux, mais je préfère mourir debout que vivre à genoux. --Stephane Charbonnier (1967-2015)
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 22:47:37 +0000