Why Was The March For Free Speech In Paris A Big Display Of Hypocrisy?
SAYS writer Sadho calls out the biggest hypocrites who marched for "free speech" in Paris and their so-called record of defending the principle of free speech in their own countries.
On 11 January 2015, some 3.7 million people joined some 40 Presidents and Prime Ministers in the unity march in France in what the New York Times has dubbed "the most striking show of solidarity in the West against the threat of Islamic extremism"
They were responding to the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris
As the New York Times described:
"Jews, Muslims, Christians, atheists and people of all races, ages and political stripes swarmed central Paris beneath a bright blue sky, calling for peace and an end to violent extremism."
Before we explain why the march on Sunday was the biggest display of hypocrisy, just to give you a head start, as these wide shots reveal, the world leaders were NOT really part of the march at all. But conducted a mere photo-op on empty, guarded street.
Seems world leaders didn't "lead" #CharlieHebdo marchers in Paris but conducted photo op on empty, guarded street pic.twitter.com/bhhXgAhqDR
— Borzou Daragahi (@borzou) January 12, 2015
All those world leaders: not exactly "at" the Paris rallies. pic.twitter.com/YPFq1sMf88
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) January 12, 2015
This is what pseudo-solidarity looks like. World leaders marching in #Paris not actually on protest but photo opp. pic.twitter.com/Sz1k0uvGo9
— Gerry Hassan (@GerryHassan) January 12, 2015
To show their commitment to free speech MT @mattsteinglassThey should have banned press from showing the full photo pic.twitter.com/NqqwO2Qlcn
— Borzou Daragahi (@borzou) January 12, 2015
After the march for unity in Paris, Khairy Jamaluddin, Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister, who wasn't at the march, tweeted:
I condemn again the Charlie Hebdo murders but the unity march was nauseating.
— Khairy Jamaluddin (@Khairykj) January 11, 2015
While some disagreed, some agreed, many were left confused. Khairy was in fact pointing towards several of those oligarchical leaders who marched for free speech while linking arms in an act of solidarity, but have done everything in their power to suppress, torture and murder the very free speech in their own countries.
As an outraged Reporters Without Borders, while welcoming the participation of many foreign leaders in the march in Paris in homage to the victims of terror attacks and in defence of the French republic's values, strongly asked:
"On what grounds are representatives of regimes that are predators of press freedom coming to Paris to pay tribute to Charlie Hebdo, a publication that has always defended the most radical concept of freedom of expression?"
Several of the 40 world leaders who joined the start of the Paris march, have policies at home that are in complete contrast with the solidarity for free speech that was on display throughout France on Sunday.
The organization said Sunday that it was "appalled by the presence of leaders from countries where journalists and bloggers are systematically persecuted such as Egypt (which is ranked 159th out of 180 countries in RWB's press freedom index), Russia (148th), Turkey (154th) and United Arab Emirates (118th)."
Christophe Deloire, Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General, said in a statement: "We must demonstrate our solidarity with Charlie Hebdo without forgetting all the world's other Charlies"
"It would be unacceptable if representatives of countries that silence journalists were to take advantage of the current outpouring of emotion to try to improve their international image and then continue their repressive policies when they return home. We must not let predators of press freedom spit on the graves of Charlie Hebdo."
And the organisation is so right. In an epic series of 21 fact-carrying tweets, Daniel Wickham, co-president of London School for Economics Middle East Society, pointed out that many of the world leaders who marched through the streets of Paris are not the world's biggest advocates for press freedom in their own countries.
Below, we list down the tweets that point out the hypocrisy of government solidarity with Charlie Hebdo
1. King Abdullah of Jordan
1) King Abdullah of Jordan, which last year sentenced a Palestinian journalist to 15 years in prison with hard labour http://t.co/giZg7JounI
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
2. Prime Minister of Davutoglu of Turkey
2) Prime Minister of Davutoglu of Turkey, which imprisons more journalists than any other country in the world http://t.co/sLCJaZprex
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
3. Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel
3) Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, whose forced killed 7 journalists in Gaza last yr (second highest after Syria) http://t.co/w74zqVHZf9
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
4. Foreign Minister Shoukry of Egypt
4) Foreign Minister Shoukry of Egypt, which as well as AJ staff has detained journalist Shawkan for around 500 days http://t.co/xzVRgmkM1g
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
5. Foreign Minister Lavrov of Russia
5) Foreign Minister Lavrov of Russia, which last year jailed a journalist for "insulting a government servant" http://t.co/J4Rca9chuA
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
6. Foreign Minister Lamamra of Algeria
6) Foreign Minister Lamamra of Algeria, which has detained journalist Abdessami Abdelhai for 15 months without charge http://t.co/KlDiwKibzL
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
7. The Foreign Minister of the UAE
7) The Foreign Minister of the UAE, which in 2013 held a journo incommunicado for a month on suspicion of MB links https://t.co/15ESrDu1kh
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
8. Prime Minister Jomaa of Tunisia
8) Prime Minister Jomaa of Tunisia, which recently jailed blogger Yassine Ayan for 3 years for "defaming the army" http://t.co/8fwfVHq8VK
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
9. The PMs of Georgia and Bulgaria
9) The PMs of Georgia and Bulgaria, both of whom have a record of attacking & beating journos http://t.co/sB0gkTtnJl http://t.co/bnvaAyic5p
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
10. The Attorney General of the US
10) The Attorney General of the US, where police in Ferguson have recently detained and assaulted WashPost reporters http://t.co/fYtWGEl3pL
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
11. Prime Minister Samaras of Greece
11) Prime Minister Samaras of Greece, where riot police beat & injured two journalists at a protest in June last year http://t.co/Vr8MPsEwWR
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
12. Sec-Gen of NATO
12) Sec-Gen of NATO, who are yet to be held to account for deliberately bombing and killing 16 Serbian journos in '99 http://t.co/wp0mR0a52l
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
13. President Keita of Mali
13) President Keita of Mali, where journalists are expelled for covering human rights abuses https://t.co/LByJYLfxIe
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
14. The Foreign Minister of Bahrain
14) The Foreign Minister of Bahrain, 2nd biggest jailer of journos in the world per capita (they also torture them) http://t.co/HX6Q3Ia3lG
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
15. Sheikh Mohamed Ben Hamad Ben Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar
15) Sheikh Mohamed Ben Hamad Ben Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar, which jailed a man for 15 ys for writing the Jasmine poem http://t.co/8s1N0wcPC6
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
16. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas
16) Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, who had several journalists jailed for insulting him in 2013 http://t.co/2p0VXYB2Sd
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
17. Prime Minister Cerar of Slovenia
17) Prime Minister Cerar of Slovenia, which sentenced a blogger to six months in prison for "defamation" in 2013 http://t.co/cBVYh4niys
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
18. Prime Minister Enda Kenny of Ireland
18) Prime Minister Enda Kenny of Ireland, where "blasphemy" is considered a criminal offense http://t.co/zyJlZnAEwS
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
19. Prime Minister Kopacz of Poland
19) Prime Minister Kopacz of Poland, which raided a magazine to seize recordings embarrassing for the ruling party http://t.co/6asFIyiLr9
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
20. PM Cameron of the UK
20) PM Cameron of the UK, where authorities destroyed documents obtained by The Guardian and threatened prosecution http://t.co/VLS13dnckJ
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
21. Saudi ambassador to France
21) Saudi ambassador to France. The Saudis publicly flogged blogger @raif_badawi for "insulting Islam" on Friday http://t.co/ZTlPCGa6u5
— Daniel Wickham (@DanielWickham93) January 11, 2015
But amidst all the criticism, one could argue, as student Axel Fougner did, "Hypocritical world leaders showing up in Paris does not in any way reduce the sincerity of the millions who marched for #jesuischarlie." While it's an effective argument, one should also remember that, across the world, NOT every journalist is Charlie.
"I would rather die standing than live on my knees." Remembering The #CharlieHebdo Victims http://t.co/KWZ20QiYpv pic.twitter.com/MNNY91CsJO
— Sadho (@sadhosays) January 8, 2015