Voices: Taking a stand for freedom of speech, religious tolerance

A bitter winter wind and an abundance of gray clouds didn’t stop me from paying my respects to the fallen journalists who were killed in the recent Paris terror attack on the offices of the prominent French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Jan. 7. Amongst the 12 killed were eight journalists. In the violent aftermath, the two terrorists from the Charlie Hebdo attack killed a police officer and, in a separate attack in a Parisian kosher grocery store, a terrorist killed four people.

I attended a rally on Jan. 11 in London’s Trafalgar Square, where nearly 1000 people turned out in a show of solidarity with the people of France. The early-day vigil coincided with a unity rally for freedom of expression in Paris that also struck a defiant note against terrorism. It drew more than 1.5 million people to the famed streets and boulevards of the French capital, with many world leaders also in attendance.

As the rarest of London winter sunshine gave way to gray skies, the somber crowd in the square suddenly became defiant, singing the French national anthem La Marsellaise at one point, and many were hoisting pens and pencils high over their heads along with holding placards that read "Je suis Charlie," which translates to "I am Charlie."

French flags were commonplace at the rally, and people waved them with joy and pride. Some amongst the crowd were also holding caricatures from Charlie Hebdo and signs that read "Je suis Ahmed," a tribute to the Muslim police officer who was also killed in the attack.

Some of London’s most well-known landmarks – including the National Gallery and the Tower Bridge – were illuminated later in the day with colors of France's flag: red, white and blue. The poignant symbolism of adorning several British landmarks with the colors of the French flag was not lost on British Prime Minister David Cameron, who told the BBC: “It was a demonstration of solidarity, people throughout this country, young and old, black and white, saying we stand with the victims.”

The three main values of France – liberty, equality and fraternity, born and bred during the French Revolution – can easily be considered crucial elements of human dignity. And I was not afraid to make that known in the center of Trafalgar Square.

I stood for the right of unfettered freedom of expression for individuals and media organizations. These basic rights are crucial to a functioning democracy and shouldn’t be surrendered in the face of violent extremism. Values that one holds dear are always worth fighting for.

During the coming days and months, people must also be careful not to blame the Islamic religion as a whole for the Paris terror attack. In the aftermath, mosques in France have been attacked with bullets and small explosive devices, and Muslims in the country now face potential retaliation from those inclined to blame them for the actions of violent extremists.

Most, if not every, faith is plagued with an extremist minority who advocate violence as a force for social and political change.

As a whole, Islam is peaceful, with deep-rooted beliefs in charity for the poor and compassion for others. But it has been hijacked by a small group of extremists looking to advance their violent goals under the thin veiled guise of religious purity. It is our responsibility to make sure that we don't give in to hate and prejudice against a faith that has over 1.5 billion followers worldwide, according to the Pew Research Center.

These concerns were fanned when media magnate Rupert Murdoch posted a controversial tweet saying all Muslims "must be held responsible" for the Paris terror attacks. This kind of thinking poisons any gestures of good will between different cultures and endangers all those involved with the venom of ignorance.

But for now, I am proud to say that, even if for a small period of time, my beliefs on freedom of expression and religious tolerance were made known to the world as I stood in solidarity with the people of France alongside the peoples of the world. As New York Times opinion columnist Ross Douthat wrote:

"If a large enough group of someones is willing to kill you for saying something, then it’s something that almost certainly needs to be said, because otherwise the violent have veto power over liberal civilization."

Global unity and support for freedom of expression has a slogan this time around: “On est tous Charlie”, or, in English, "We are all Charlie."

Joseph Zeballos is a student at Florida State University.

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