The Invisible Power of a Hashtag: #JeSuisCharlie
Chances are you have heard of the Charlie Hebdo case in the last two weeks. Such a compelling catastrophe that has been shaking the world.
Why is this tragedy important to us?
The Charlie Hebdo attack and the events that have developed as a result of it worldwide have repercussions that touch upon all nations. The shooting in Paris is blamed by many on the Charlie Hebdo’s publications of Mohammed cartoons, which many Muslims consider blasphemous. As an American the first thing that came to mind was our Freedom of Speech. This is a fundamental principal that Western countries are willing to defend as ABC news in Australia reported: “French president Francois Hollande says anti-Charlie Hebdo protesters in other countries do not understand France’s attachment to freedom of speech.”
What exactly happened?
- On Wednesday, January 7, at least 10 journalists of the French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo were gunned down by two masked men along with two police officers.
- ‘Je Suis Charlie’ Message Goes Viral After Paris Attack and terror takes over Paris.
- As a response to the intimidation, Mass unity rally Jan. 11, Paris. Largest demonstration in French history. #JeSuisCharlie
- Al Qaeda in Yemen Claims Responsibility for Charlie Hebdo Attack.
- Anti-Charlie Hebdo Outrage ripples out in Muslim nations.
Why are these events relevant to us?
The right of Freedom of Speech is so ingrained in the American society that I believe it represents more than just the right to say your opinions. Thanks to the Digital and Social Media, Freedom of Speech has become the freedom to publish your opinions. The threat of ending this freedom is what many in the Western hemisphere are concern about. Johnathan Gebauer explains it in his blog: “The internet doesn’t mean ‘freedom to voice your opinion’ nor does it mean ‘freedom of press’ – it means ‘freedom of publishing.’ And the latter is a far greater accomplishment than most will ever comprehend.”
How is the internet, Digital and Social media involved in all of this?
The full Power of the internet, digital and Social Media is still not known yet. But there is no doubt that it is shaping societies, nations and continents. According to the British press, The Telegraph, the hashtag attached to the Charlie Hebdo attack is one of the most popular in Twitter history: “At its height the tag was tweeted at a rate of 6,500 times a minute and featured in 3.4 million tweets in just one 24 hour period.” A simple hashtag has the power to unite opinions, peoples, societies, nations and continents. This power that we are just discovering has been given to the regular citizens who are not willing to go silent into the night. And the matter becomes a deadly issue when that regular citizen is willing to die and kill for his believes.
Is this a religious issue?
Many newspapers are debating what is more important, freedom of religion or freedom of speech after protesters are multiplying all over the world. Personally, I don’t believe this is a religious issue because terrorism has become involved in the matter. I say this with all respect to the Muslim nations, when an extremist group starts to use deadly force to control others, a dark energy in the form of fear starts to take over the land.
What happens next?
We must go back to “#JeSuisCharlie” and reflect on what is really the meaning not just for us but for the young Muslims that are struggling to make their voice heard. The phrase “I am Charlie” doesn’t belong to anybody but at the same time it belongs to everybody because the desire of having our opinions validated is the concept of “I am Charlie.”
If we profess to believe in the Divine and consider ourselves having the Spirit of God, we must look inside and reflect how fear and terror cannot coexist with the Light. Growing up in a third world country having nothing, you learn that the only thing that you can posses is your faith in God. You hold on to that believe to survive the poverty and the bullies that come with guns to take away the little that you have. And when you discover that even that believe can be mocked and the respect that you have for your God can be taken away with a joke, you are left with nothing but a cruel world. This is how I understand the chaos going among young Muslims. The frustration of seeing yourself being mocked and trying to regain respect. However, it is not an excuse to take away someone’s life. This is why it is so important to understand Freedom of speech is just the freedom to express one’s opinions. The minute we take them personal, that is the moment when we give them power to hurt us. The power of the hashtag “#JeSuisCharlie” is the freedom to express and publish our opinions understanding that everyone else has the same right. The power of the Light is understanding that nobody has to validate your opinions for them to have the power of the “Divine.”