PCID statement on attack against French cartoonists

Liberte, égalité, fraternité.  

Liberty, equality, brotherhood — these were the rallying cries of the French revolutionaries which have resounded beyond the streets of Paris and reverberated the world over, sparking independence movements across continents.

The Paris barricades and the French revolutionaries have been catalysts to  numerous aspirations for independence from colonial rulers, including our very own nationalist struggle for self determination.

The violence that claimed the lives of 12 French journalists, ostensibly in the name of religion, is anathema to these universally-held values of liberty, equality and brotherhood — concepts which are part of the fundamental tenets of Islam.

While many would take offense at the satirical lampooning characteristic of the Charles Hebdo magazine, no one could countenance  the brutal massacre in Paris last Wednesday.  Such violent intolerance contravenes the precepts of Islam, which values the sanctity of human life. 

We are saddened by this horrific event that has once again cast Muslims as rampaging over-zealous demagogues, belying the fact that  a vast majority are peaceful, law-abiding members of their respective communities.

We, at PCID, share the sorrow of the families of the victims, some of whom were innocent bystanders.

There are other venues to vent our vehement disgust or raging fury over the pointed mockery of our beliefs or the cavalier treatment of our spiritual icons. After all, we are living in the age of reason.  We no longer take umbrage through the strength of our fists and the edge of our swords.  Rather, our level of civility mandates our claiming redress of our grievances through democratic processes which we have long struggled to establish with our blood, sweat and tears. The peaceful resolution of conflict is a core principle of Islam. While we remain steadfast in our faith,  we cannot abide  the willful disregard of the precepts that both Muslims and Christian hold dear-  liberty, equality, brotherhood.

We stand in solidarity with our French brothers and sisters as we decry the violence that has struck the city of Paris, as all peace-loving citizens of the world should do. — Atty. Salma Pir Rasul, Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PICD)