Tout est pardone

photo source: Middle East Monitor

Besides the reaction of the governments, many people have taken to the streets in marches of solidarity. There have been such events in all of the EU , showing that the people of the Union are united in the face of terror and that the common values that the EU shares within its borders are stronger than any bullet or any threat.

The solidarity marches have not been present in the EU only, but also in Moscow, New York, Istanbul, Beirut, Jerusalem, Sydney, Tokyo.

We can clearly observe that many people were shocked and moved by these latest events, but were they so shocked that Muslims in Europe will soon feel the fury of a population who's tired of all these events? We hope not and again would like to remind that dialogue is the solution: dialogue, understanding of each other, patience and compromise.

As we've stated before, Europe is no longer as it was, nor should it be. In a world of constant change, we can only adapt and make the best of it. Each has the right to its own destiny, religion, opinion, education, etc., as long as he or she does not injure or hurt another person in the pursuit of these rights.

Many are stating that what the people from Charlie Hebdo have published is immoral and offensive. Thank God (whichever one you feel like thanking) that in a civilized world, such as in the EU, there are courts of justice, where one can actually challenge things that he or she might find offensive. That's how it works in the 21st century. If you feel like drawing, publishing or simply doing something controversial, daring, etc., you must be ready to face the consequences - in court; and the people from Charlie Hebdo were already doing that with some persons who have challenged them. Some cases were won by the magazine, some were lost, but it wasn't the lottery - it was justice (civilized world justice).

Even though we, at REIPO, urge for dialogue and peaceful solutions, we already observed that harsh comments against Muslims have already started to appear. One of these examples, and probably one of the most iconic at this moment, since it comes from a person who is a Muslim himself - a Muslim who lives and the EU, Netherlands to be precise, a person who is a public figure - the mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb, went on with a straightforward statement on LIVE TV, stating that Muslims who do not like freedom and who do not appreciate it, can leave. He said that in a very rude manner: ' Don't like freedom? F*** off!'. This kind of reactions are the ones who we, at REIPO, do not support. We believe in cooperation, above all else. Only when it becomes impossible, and by impossible I mean untouchable, unachievable, insane, downright mad to pursue dialogue and cooperation, only then such comments are reasonable ones.

It is tragic what happened in Paris, but we should be aware that the bullets shot at the people inside the building may have created more damage to the Muslim community than to those for which the bullets were meant.