Charlie was not a solider at the war front, nor a key personnel engaged in religious or political struggle. He was only a cartoonist, and his works were largely meant to bring on smiles on the readers' faces although what he illustrated could be very sensitive to some.
He paid the price of his own life because of this.
The Charlie that I was talking about was of course not a single individual, but a group of 12 shooting victims, ten of whom employees of Charlie Hebdo.
The gunmen stormed the magazine's office in Paris, shooting at anyone that crossed their path. Their motive was simple: to get rid of Charlie.
After that, they cried: Vengeance done!
It wasn't a vengeance targeted at a specific individual, but a different value system.
During its almost half a century of its existence. Charlie Hebdo is a liberal leftist satirical weekly which has targeted specifically those in power, especially the rightist politicians, including also France's very own white supremacists, Fascists, while not sparing religious authorities such as Catholic, Jewish and Islamic authorities.
Anyone with the slightest knowledge of the style of Europe's leftist liberals will come to understand that this is exactly their nature, a combination of ideals and romance with the unmistakable French spirit of liberty, equality and fraternity, all conspired together to challenge the authorities and conventionality.
Politics and religions, the holders of power and authority, have naturally become the targets of Charlie Hebdo's unreserved cynicism. However, it never employs ammunition as its weapon but cartoons and caricatures. Many a time, the destructive force of humor depend very much on how acceptable it is to the recipients.
Retaliating humor with ammunition is out of right proportion, and is by all means overly bloody and inhuman.
Even the Islamic cleric in Paris declared instantly that the gunmen did not represent all Muslims, and any act of killing was totally unacceptable and would be reprimanded in unison by Muslims.
Indeed, religious fanatics only made up a very tiny part, and even tinier part that would eventually resort to terrorism. But somehow there is fertile ground for the breeding of extremists and potential terrorists.
Religious radicals see everything in absolute sanctity, never to be queried or humiliated. Charlie Hebdo's cynicism could never be tolerated in any way.
What happened in Paris was not an isolated case. Similar incidents have taken place on a regular basis ever since The Satanic Verses was penned by Salman Rushdie, who was subsequently pursued with a price tag on his head, more than two decades ago.
That said, France is not ISIS. and Europe is not Middle East. The French people have built their nation upon the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity. Cartoons are just a form of liberal expression that must not be compromised. Equality and fraternity, meanwhile, denote the noble notion of respect for human lives.
Western states, even the European Union, have all been established upon the foundation of assimilation, understanding and liberalism, not violence, animosity and feudalism.
To kill Charlie is to assassinate the aspirations of the French Republic, and the root of the Western world.
Now that a dozen of Charlies have perished, more will stand up. Today, many Frenchmen are holding up posters proclaiming: Je Suis Charlie, vowing that their faith and commitment would never be intimidated by acts of terror.
By TAY TIAN YAN
Translated by DOMINIC LOH
Sin Chew Daily
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