A cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad crying with the words “All is forgiven” over his head was featured on the cover of the Charlie Hebdo newspaper Wednesday, Jan. 14 in Paris.
This was the first issue of the French newspaper since Jan. 7, when two masked gunmen raided the newspaper’s office and killed 11 people. Shortly before the attack, the newspaper depicted a caricature version of Muhammad, which is forbidden according to Islamic beliefs. The two gunmen said they believed to be defending their prophet and his honor.
A journalist with Charlie Hebdo described the latest cover as a way of showing that the workers were forgiving the gunmen for the attack, according to CBS News.
Dr. Monte Cox, Dean of the College of Bible and Religion, said that while he has not seen the cover himself, he believes that if the newspaper truly meant to share a message of forgiveness, God should be praised for that impulse.
“That’s pretty magnanimous, I would say of them to say that,” Cox said. “Of course, it’s provocative because it’s a picture of Muhammad again, but the words—that’s pretty gracious, I would say.”
Not everyone seemed to respond to the attack with forgiveness, however.
Within two days of the shooting, 16 mosques across France had been defaced. Some were attacked with decapitated pig heads, gunfire or firebombs.
These attacks on Islamic mosques have not just been confined to France. There has been at least one report of a burning object being thrown at a mosque in the Netherlands.
Freshman Raegan Winsett said she does not believe people should be blaming non-violent Muslims for the attack.
“Just because a few people out of millions does something terrible, it doesn’t mean the entire religion can fall under that stereotype as ‘terrorist,'” Winsett said.
Sophomore Harley Halliburton said he agrees with Winsett.
“With every aspect of life, there are exceptions,” Halliburton said. “I think you have to look at someone’s background, and what that religion believes in, and actually do an in-depth study before you can make a general blanket statement.”
The Islamic community appears to be divided on how to respond to these attacks, and to the recent cover of Charlie Hebdo.
Turkey, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco have banned the latest edition of the newspaper. Other Islamic communities have been protesting, as well. In the Philippines, for example, Muslims gathered with signs saying things such as, “France must apologize.” Pictures show one man burning an Israeli flag during the protest.
Some Islamic groups have stated that is not the proper reaction.
Fifty British Muslim leaders wrote a letter, according to Daily Mail, that pleads for restraint and calmness in their religious community worldwide.
In the letter, Islamic religious leaders said the “best and immediate way to respond” to anti-Muslim actions and sayings are “enduring patience, tolerance, gentleness and mercy.”
Dr. Cox said he hopes future responses do not include hatred toward Islam.
“In word and deed, we will represent Christ,” Cox said. “And we will not be drawn into some bitter, angry response where all Muslims are terrorists and are enemies. I will not be drawn to that, and I hope people won’t be drawn into that.”
The French journalists at Charlie Hebdo have made no public comment about stopping further editions with religious figures depicted.
