Dear online
community of Roma Virtual Network!
Since yesterday all
the world is talking about the recent shooting at a Paris satirical weekly
Charlie Hebdo. Noteworthy that the French Muslim Council (CFCM) in a statement sharply condemned the shooting at a Paris satirical weekly that left at least
12 people dead as a "barbaric" attack and "an assault on press
freedom and democracy".
The majority of
voices show full sympathy with the victims of a killing. However, all todays
Internet is full of conflicting commentaries regarding the reasons of this
unfortunate event. There are extreme views too, and majority of them rather
spontanious emotional. These debates happen these days among Roma too, and not
only online. This trend is strengthened by the fact up to 40% of European Roma
are Muslims and in such country as Turkey almost all Roma citizens. Taken into
attention the peculiar situation of this part of Roma population who are
affected by both, Anti-Tziganizm and Anti-Muslim hate I have to express my
personal opinion on the tragic event in Paris:
Democracy is not
about the freedom to insult someone. Even in secular democratic states the laws
exist, which protect various ethnic, racial and religious groups from
defamation. Of course, this part of legislation in many countries is not
elaborated well, but it starts to work when people of Good Will intend to stop
the hate (even when it is disguied as "satire").
The staff of
Charlie Hebdo (R.I.P.) had own story of so called "satiric"
defamation of everything, including the defamation of all three monotheistic
religions: Islam, Judaism and Christianity. In my opinion, if the
representatives of faith communities would do their best in time to bring the
editorial office of Charlie Hebdo to the court to answer for their hateful
"satiric" trend, the the killings would not take place. Otherwise,
what has happened simply serves numerous Islamophobes who are coming mostly
from a secular background, serves to the interests of those who are looking for
any reason to attack Islam and every Muslim person.
Some of such
critics may not be hate-mongers, but "just" not open-minded people.
If they will start the sincere dialogue with the ones whom they regard as
"adherents of wrong religion" then they will realise that there are
many good things about Islam and Umma (i.e. world Muslim community) that they
did not know yet. They will also realise on how the perpetrators of that
killing violated the norms of Islam and hurt the self-integrity of Muslims
living in France. Of course, the ones who prefer blind hatred and mockery
follow the path of some "satiric" publications. But the ones who want
to achieve real civil Peace and mutual Understanding choose to listen the other
side also.
Let`s stop
attacking one another for "incorrect" personal views on the recent
tragic event, but lets start analyze carefully the reasons of it. There is no
reason to blame the victims in what has happened, there is no reason to justify
the killers for what they have done, but the whole heavy athmosphere of
Islamophobia deserves the criticism. This is, in my opinion, the reason of a
recent tragedy in Paris.
And lets hope, wish
and pray that in the result of all this emotional worldwide debate regarding
the event in Paris the humanity will learn the true respect to religions. And
lets also wish peace to one another despite the difference in our opinions!
And if you have
other or similar opinion please share it on
http://romadebates.wordpress.com/2015/01/08/main-reason-for-tragedy-in-paris/
Respectfully yours,
Mr. Valery Novoselsky,
Executive Editor, Roma Virtual Network.
Nema komentara:
Objavi komentar