O Loving One, Ya Wadud, we grieve with the parents, family, and friends of the 12 people who were killed at the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo on January 7, 2015, by two French Muslim brothers presumed to want to punish the magazine for blasphemy over its depictions of the Prophet Muhammad. Comfort all those who have been touched and conflicted by this horrific event.

REPORT: "At least 12 people have been killed in a shooting attack on a French satirical magazine in Paris. Witnesses say masked gunmen entered the offices of the magazine, Charlie Hebdo, and opened fire. The dead include four cartoonists and two police officers. The magazine Charlie Hebdo has drawn multiple threats for its caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. In 2012, the magazine’s cartoon depicting Muhammad in pornographic poses helped spark protests across the Middle East. The outcry forced France to close embassies and other official sites in 20 countries. Charlie Hebdo has repeatedly claimed it publishes the cartoons as a defender of free expression and against religious extremism." (DemocracyNow.org)

Peacemaker, give us the patience, the wisdom, and the empathy to discern the teachable moments from this tragedy. It has given rise to widespread expressions of support for free speech and against censorship and violence against journalists, cartoonists, satirists, and others. At the same time, we lament the fact that these murders have spawned a new wave of charges that all Muslims are fundamentalists and terrorists.

We ask for your guidance as we try to discern when the media is exercising its freedom of speech and when it is inciting hatred and division. We seek understanding of what it means to truly respect the beliefs of the faithful, including what is considered to be blasphemy and an insult to revered teachers and prophets. Finally, with sorrow and fear that the end result of this incendiary incident will only be greater Islamophobia, we vow to stand up against religious and secular violence and to advocate a deeper exploration and appreciation of the spiritual practice of reverence.


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