#JeSuisToujoursCharlie

We should all be as courageous as the writers and cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo, argues Dennis Hayes*.

’Indestructible’ is the headline on a special edition of Charlie Hebdo published to mark the tenth anniversary of the bloody Islamist attack on the office of the French satirical magazine on 7 January 2015. In that attack twelve people, including eight editorial staff were murdered. The reason was that the assassins felt that the cartoons of Muhammad published by the magazine were blasphemous. It would be a charge heard often over the next ten years leading most notoriously to the beheading of Samuel Paty and, in the UK, to the driving of the Batley Grammar School teacher into perpetual hiding in fear for his life.

Charlie Hebdo upholds the Enlightenment principle that everything, however prized or sacred, must be open and subject to criticism (and mockery and caricature). They satirise all religions and anything and everything that is pompous and puts itself above criticism.

The reaction to the slaughter of 2015 was encapsulated in the hashtag #JesuisCharlie that was held aloft on signs at huge demonstrations in defence of free speech across the world. To their shame some in the West criticised Charlie Hebdo for going too far and promoting a hateful and intolerant society by ridiculing other people in the name of ‘free speech’. The hashtag #JenesuispasCharlie was the banner of these equivocating individuals.

Gérard Baird, the editor-in-chief, had escaped the carnage because he was in London, said that the cartoons were not gratuitous. Charlie Hebdo was brave enough to publish them when others ‘threw in the towel’ over Islamist threats. They have published more cartoons in the special anniversary edition. This is a deliberate act of defiance. Baird is celebratory: “They [the terrorists] ran into the street shouting: ‘We have killed Charlie Hebdo. They were wrong. Charlie Hebdo continues.” The Times (4/1/25)

Freedom of speech and expression, no ifs no buts

One of a series of interviews about the anniversary by France 3 was with a student, Benjamin. After reflecting on his thoughts and feelings on 7 January 2015, he said: “Encore maintenant, c’est un symbole pour moi, je suis toujours Charlie. Quoi qu’on pense de ce journal, pouvoir critiquer les religions, c’est un droit, il faut continuer à le faire et il faut continuer à rendre hommage à ces gens-là.”

We should have the courage and fearlessness of Charlie Hebdo to uphold freedom of speech and expression, no ifs no buts. As Benjamin said, we must defend the right to blaspheme and not forget those at Charlie Hebdo who died upholding this right. On the 7 January 2025 we can also say with Benjamin: #JeSuisToujoursCharlie.

*Dennis Hayes is emeritus professor of education at the University of Derby and a visiting professor at the University of Buckingham.

Photo Credit 1: Brussels rally in support of the victims of the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting, 11 January 2015. Miguel Discart (2015) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0. Photo Credit 2: Cartoon from the cover of Charlie Hebdo No 1178 published on 14 January 2015.