GP Short Notes

GP Short Notes # 965, 9 January 2025

Charlie Hebdo attacks: Ten years later
Padmashree Anandhan

In the news
On 7 January, France commemorated ten years of the militant attack on Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine, which led to debates on the freedom of expression and religion. France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo paid tribute and said: “We have not forgotten them.” France’s Minister of Interior Bruno Retailleau said: “During the last year, the threat was from within [France]. There may now be growing cooperation between foreign groups and the domestic threat from youngsters radicalised by social networks. We can exclude nothing.” 

On the same day, Germany’s Chancellor, Olaf Scholz said: “The attack targeted our shared values of freedom and democracy—we will never accept this.” Charlie Hebdo’s Director Laurent Sourisseau who was present during the attacks was quoted telling: “Satire has a virtue that has enabled us to get through these tragic years: optimism.” Additionally, rfi published a collection of cartoons highlighting the incident. Another French daily, Le Figaro said: “Ten years on, France is still under Islamist threat.”

Issues at large
First, the Charlie Hebdo attack in 2015 and its reverberations. Members of the Algerian Islamist group GIA (Groupe Islamique Armé), Chérif Kouachi and Coulibaly, were alleged to have attacked the Charlie Hebdo for publishing of cartoons scathing Prophet Mohammed.. The incident was the beginning of a wave of al Qaeda and Islamic State-linked extremist attacks in France and Western Europe. This triggered anti-Muslim immigrant sentiments, an outcry for freedom of speech and a re-examination of France’s security measures. 

Second, the threat of militant Islam to France and Europe. Radical Islam has been a great concern in France in the past three decades. Besides, there was a rise in Islamophobic events after the attacks. France has the largest Muslim population (5,720,000), which is 8.8 per cent of the total population in Western Europe. According to the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), France faced multiple attacks between 2004 and 2018, with increased frequency since the first Jihadist attack in 2012. After the December 2018 Strasbourg attack, 10,000 were estimated to be extremists, radicalized through mosques, online or other platforms. 

Third, a divided society. Within France, the attacks had a profound effect on the values of free expression, and issues relating to religion and terrorism. A section supports the newspaper’s stance for free speech and its rights to criticise a religion. A section sees the attack as a hit on values of liberty, equality and fraternity. This led to a larger debate on being inclusive or exclusive of religion and boundaries of free expression. At the same time, a section within the Muslim comunity felt being marginalized in education, work and the newspaper cartoons were perceived as isolation of Muslims in French society. 

Fourth, the societal and state responses in France and Europe. Following the attacks, the suspects were killed and efforts were made to track the militant network and radicalisation and review France’s intelligence services in preventing similar attacks. Counter-terrorism laws were altered to address online radicalisation and strengthen the ability to investigate individuals engaged in such activities. Macron was criticised for his strategy towards Islam “in crisis” and targeting the Muslim population. Since the attack, the Jewish and Muslim communities have been raising safety concerns, across the UK, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Security measures were increased across the Czech Republic, Denmark and Finland. In Sweden, there were new trends of militant attacks (an attack on the parliament building in March 2024) and an increase in counter-terrorism measures. Incidents of aggression toward women wearing headscarves, not allowing Muslim women on a bus and organising “Christian Patrols” were reported in the Netherlands and the UK. A section of EU policymakers argued on differentiating Islam and terrorism and another group of extremist and far-right used the attacks to promote anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiments. 
 
In perspective
First, the media take a proportionate approach in publishing. Since the attacks, the media has been compelled to align with freedom of expression, rights groups, and civil norms. They have managed to publish agreeing and contrasting narratives using a proportionate approach. Their fight for existence through inclusion, avoiding conflict and efforts to republish (radical acts) reflect the social division and struggle to publish freely. 

Second, the EU and France’s precaution tactic. Since the 9/11 and Charlie Hebdo attacks, the aftermath and increased militant activities pushed the governments to strengthen their detection capabilities and counter-terrorism measures. However, at the societal level, similar to France there are different perceptions of the Muslim community and Jihadists with growing anti-immigrant sentiments. This has been used by the far-right parties in their favour to win political power.

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