Unity Protests in Paris Following Terror Attack
It was reported that over three million people attended the unity rally in France this past weekend, where individuals in France and throughout the world came together to march in the name of unity. Within the millions in France, it was said that there were over one million out on the streets of Paris, where some of the French media outlets said that the number was closer to two million (in CNN, 2015).
Many world political leaders flew to France and participated in the rallies. For example, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas was in attendance, as was Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among others. However, neither United States President Barack Obama, nor Secretary of State John Kerry attended the rally.
Along with these rallies, similar marches took place throughout other cities in the world.
The rallies in France and elsewhere are very important, as they show the world that not only are the killings of those in the Charlie Hebdo offices and the Kosher store horrific, but also that individuals will not be silenced because of violence, that they will continue to stand up in the name of freedom of expression.
Moreover, the protests show that individuals of various faiths (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc…) and individuals of no religious adherence all condemn the killings. This is important because of the backlash against groups such as the Muslim community, where some have challenged the majority of Muslim, despite the fact that they do not support these actions.
It is important to remember that this was an action by a few individuals, and that it no way speaks to the entire Muslim community or Islam as a whole. In fact, it has been noted that Lassana Bathily, a worker at the Jewish supermarket, who happens to be Muslim, moved individuals downstairs to the freezer to protect them from the gun persons in the store. There was also a security guard at the Charlie Hebdo offices, Ahmed Merabet, who, while guarding the offices, was killed the by terrorists. These points just show that Muslims were just as opposed and opposite these killings as others.
It will be necessary to continue to speak for the freedom of speech, and to speak against anyone that believes violence is an approved tactic against what upsets them. It is critical to stand for the freedom of press, and to continue to champion human rights and the notion that individuals have a right to speak freely, without reprise, whether it is what they publish, or the religion that they believe (or don’t believe).
