Charlie Hebdo Trial Begins

 In January of 2015, two Jihadist Gunmen opened fire and killed a dozen people at the Charlie Hebdo magazine office in Paris.  A third Jihadist killer then murdered a police officer and four others at a nearby Jewish market.  The attack set off a wave of Jihadist attacks across France that killed over 250 people.  Too many in the media and the mainstream are under the delusion that these are "lone-wolf attacks."  Nothing can be further from the Truth.  The Charlie Hebdo attack was a well-planned, well coordinated attack.  It wasn't done by a couple of sociopaths who somehow managed to get possession of some guns.  It was a well-thought out, targeted assault.  The fact that 14 additional people are now on trial for alleged connections to this crime (three are being tried in absentia), is living proof of this.

All of the accused defendants are being charged with numerous offenses which range form providing weapons to the killers to providing logistical support.  French prosecutor Jean-Francois Richard stated to the public that this is not about prosecuting "little helpers."  That "It is about individuals who are involved in the logistics, the preparation of the events, who provided the means of financing, operational material, weapons, and a residence.  All this is essential to terrorist action."  The trial is expected to last 49 days with up to 144 witnesses being called.  In the meantime, Charlie Hebdo Magazine re-published the satirical images of Muhammad, which not surprisingly, sparked protests across the Islamic world (Link to Video).  

The attack on Charlie Hebdo was inspired by the fact that Muhammad, the founder of the faith, ordered the execution of many people who had insulted and criticized him over the course of his lifetime, and those who profess extreme loyalty to the Islamic faith, believes that command still holds true today (Link to Video).  Survivors of the Massacre report that the gunmen had screamed "We have avenged the Prophet!"  Many today are not divided over the issue of Charlie Hebdo's right to free speech, or that they are engaging in "reckless provocation."  The question we now need to ask ourselves is "Are we going to stand for Free Speech, or are we going to be Cowed into Silence by a Tyrannical Ideology?"  If history has taught us anything, it's that silence in the face of tyranny has always led to disaster.

Sources

Bell, Melissa, et al.  "Charlie Hebdo Terrorist Trial Begins in Paris, Five Years After Deadly Attacks."  CNN.  September 02, 2020.  Accessed from https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/02/europe/charlie-hebdo-trial-paris-attacks-intl/index.html

"Charlie Hebdo: 14 Suspect on Trial over Paris Massacre."  BBC.  September 02, 2020.  Accessed from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53975350.

Rachid, Brother.  The Ideology Behind Islamic Terrorism.  Seattle: Waterlife Publishing, 2019.