Paris, anyone?

[Beef Oven!]

Join the 'black and blue' club!

No purple?

[Nick Armstrong]

The impressive turnout amongst ordinary people of all faiths & all strata of French society I found heartening.

...


I found I had to look twice to be sure that this is in fact a photo taken scarcely 24 hours ago... rather than a painting from the late C.18th

[Stillhomewardbound]

I'm merely making an observation but I'm wondering what Cameron yesterday seemed to be lost for words.

He was notably mute while elsewhere on the line others seemed to be bonding and in animated chatter.

Meanwhile Netanyahu took the precaution of making sure he'd have someone to talk to accompanied as he was by at least six Mossad agents.

[Beef Oven!]

...


I found I had to look twice to be sure that this is in fact a photo taken scarcely 24 hours ago... rather than a painting from the late C.18th

Blimey! I had to pinch myself - thought it was a painting too!

What an amazing photo

[Richard Barrett]

what you appear to be confirming

Only if you twist his meaning out of all recognition.

FF, recall that the UK authorities' response to Snowden's revelations as described earlier was considerably more draconian than the USA's or anyone else's.

[Krystal]

I haven't read all these comments, but I'm about to spend 6 months in Europe and I'm feeling very anxious about it now.

The world has changed irrevocably and there are multiple reasons why this is so. All of them economic!! Religion is just a convenient umbrella to accommodate those sections of a culture, or a culture itself, which feels separated, aggrieved, overlooked, left behind. I agree with an intelligent Muslim psychiatrist who believes that Islam in the modern world is a 'humiliated' religion trying to regain its once-powerful position in the world. In those earlier 'glory' days the Islamic countries were the dominant societies in terms of economics and culture. Not anymore. Religious divides are formed in the "who gets what" paradigm in this world and resentment and marginalization has been steadily growing in the middle East, in particular, and those theocratic and authoritarian states which want to hold up two fingers to the rest of the world.

As to the marches in Paris; I'm sorry for their loss, but I feel the marches are disingenuous. Firstly, politicians are using well-chosen but self-serving words (it wasn't so long ago in my memory that Angela Merkel was describing multiculturalism as a "failure"!) won't cut it. Real freedom of speech is the freedom of offend; Charlie Hebdo was engaging in racism by portraying the Prophet the way they did; that religion is exclusive to certain races. No question about this. This same magazine did all it could to actually suppress the ideas of the Right in France simply on the basis that they didn't agree with these. Not for a single second would they allow that this movement and these sentiments arose precisely because many people felt their views were not given any consideration. History repeating itself.

So, freedom of speech French style, is a load of tripe IMO. And Obama says he wants to call an international forum to discuss "radicalization". How can he use this word when he and others disclaim any connection between the religion of Islam and terrorism? Using the language of the 'myth' is a give-away and just about as hypocritical as it's possible to be.

[MrGongGong]

I'm about to spend 6 months in Europe and I'm feeling very anxious about it now.

I'm working in Birmingham on Thursday (if they let me in that is)

that religion is exclusive to certain races. No question about this..

Apart from the fact that Islam is NOT exclusive to "certain races"

[jayne lee wilson]

I haven't read all these comments, but I'm about to spend 6 months in Europe and I'm feeling very anxious about it now.

The world has changed irrevocably and there are multiple reasons why this is so. All of them economic!! Religion is just a convenient umbrella to accommodate those sections of a culture, or a culture itself, which feels separated, aggrieved, overlooked, left behind. I agree with an intelligent Muslim psychiatrist who believes that Islam in the modern world is a 'humiliated' religion trying to regain its once-powerful position in the world. In those earlier 'glory' days the Islamic countries were the dominant societies in terms of economics and culture. Not anymore. Religious divides are formed in the "who gets what" paradigm in this world and resentment and marginalization has been steadily growing in the middle East, in particular, and those theocratic and authoritarian states which want to hold up two fingers to the rest of the world.

As to the marches in Paris; I'm sorry for their loss, but I feel the marches are disingenuous. Firstly, politicians are using well-chosen but self-serving words (it wasn't so long ago in my memory that Angela Merkel was describing multiculturalism as a "failure"!) won't cut it. Real freedom of speech is the freedom of offend; Charlie Hebdo was engaging in racism by portraying the Prophet the way they did; that religion is exclusive to certain races. No question about this. This same magazine did all it could to actually suppress the ideas of the Right in France simply on the basis that they didn't agree with these. Not for a single second would they allow that this movement and these sentiments arose precisely because many people felt their views were not given any consideration. History repeating itself.

So, freedom of speech French style, is a load of tripe IMO. And Obama says he wants to call an international forum to discuss "radicalization". How can he use this word when he and others disclaim any connection between the religion of Islam and terrorism? Using the language of the 'myth' is a give-away and just about as hypocritical as it's possible to be.

Je Suis Charlie!

[Don Petter]

Je Suis Charlie!

I must admit that until the Sunday Times explained it the allusion to Spartacus had completely passed me by.

[Beef Oven!]

I must admit that until the Sunday Times explained it the allusion to Spartacus had completely passed me by.

The Life Of Brian - Je Suis Charlie, and so's my wife.......!

[Serial_Apologist]

Yes that has been said at least one or two times here and sometimes I've had to pinch myself that I've read the posts correctly!

So what you appear to be confirming is that people who get insulted because of their sincerely-held beliefs are responsible for any insults directed against them because they can easily change their beliefs and avoid all the hassle?

Quite extraordinary!

On the contrary, the person doing the insulting is quite obviously responsible for doing the insulting. What I'm quite obviously saying is that I bring it on myself if someone chooses to insult my freely chosen views or beliefs - I can defend them to the best of my abilities; whether those views are sincerely held or not is neither here no there, and I don't think the insulter would be interested in my sincerity or lack thereof in any case unless they were perhaps seeking to disabuse me of them for reasons they might think were in my best interests, or because they felt some compulsion to bring me around to their point of view. Which is what I would try to do if I thought it worthwhile, that is.

[Beef Oven!]

I'm working in Birmingham on Thursday (if they let me in that is)

You do realise Birmingham is a totally muslim city? - if you don't believe me, check out Fox News

[Don Petter]

The Life Of Brian - Je Suis Charlie, and so's my wife.......!

Are you suggesting the French are Pythonists, rather than classicists?

[MrGongGong]

You do realise Birmingham is a totally muslim city? - if you don't believe me, check out Fox News

I know, that's what i'm worried about
but on the good side i'll stock up with the best samosas in the UK
Sweet Mahal in Springfield

[Beef Oven!]

Are you suggesting the French are Pythonists, rather than classicists?

Just the baby boomers and X generation.