The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

In the immediate aftermath of the events in Paris, war has been declared on the enemies of Freedom of Expression as the international media, especially cartoonists and satirists who have been bombarding those who fear self-expression, with their own deadly weapons. There is lead in the pencil, sharpened nibs a-plenty; ink is flowing and brushes waving across the canvas of the world's collective revulsion at the cowardly acts carried out at the offices of the satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo. Pens raining like arrows from an English Longbow pierce the shields of the enemy and their guns are dashed from their grip and smashed into a state whereby conversion to plough shears might be the only option.

Pens Poised!

 Clearly what I mean to portray here is that far from being deterred from expressing world events and components of wider society, artists skilled with brushes and pens relative to the calling of the individual, have filled both newspaper and virtual media with breath-taking images of defiance, yet not a drop of blood has been split in consequence to the collective onslaught of simply devasting skill and quality. 

 The origins of course, of this artistic fusillade stem from the moment that gunmen shot dead 12 people at the Paris office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in an apparent militant Islamist attack. Four of the magazine's well-known cartoonists, including its editor, were among those killed, as well as two police officers. It is believed to be the deadliest attack in France since 1961, when right-wingers who wanted to keep Algeria French bombed a train, killing 28 people.
The masked attackers opened fire with assault rifles in the office and exchanged shots with police in the street outside before escaping by car. They later abandoned the car in Rue de Meaux, northern Paris, where they hijacked a second car.

"Don't draw as you do; draw as we say!"

At the time of penning this article, in which I deliberately upload as many images as I can simply in respectful tribute not only to the artists concerned, but most definitely those who were murdered, French Police and Specialist Forces have cornered the two remaining fugatives in a small printing business in Dammartin-en-Goele, 35km (22 miles) from Paris; the gunmen reportedly said they were prepared to die: It is to be hoped that they are not denied their ambition!

Paris 7/1

In unfolding news, a shooting has been reported at a kosher business in the east of Paris. A gunman, believed to be the killer of a policewoman in Paris on Thursday, has taken 5 hostages at the store! Earlier, a police source linked the killing of the policewoman to the Charlie Hebdo attack. There can and is no doubt, that there was a great deal of planning and training involved here and it is reasonable to suggest, that these event have been planned for sometime, with some experts speculating that Yemen was the training ground and perhaps the base for a command structure.

Children draw for peace

It seems likely that if not today (9/1) but over the weekend, the fugatives will be either captured or neutralised. France is already plunged into mourning and it is right and proper that hands are extended towards them all collectively, not only across the English Channel, itself awash with a history of past conflicts, but from the wider world in general. In the meantime and behind the scenes, our respective security and intelligence services will undoubtedly be ramping up and honing their operations and it is to be hoped that pre-emptive strikes may well be initiated sooner rather than later against the world's collective enemy.

Needs no explanation!

We mere mortals can do very little but to remain as alert as we can especially at transport node points, places of worship especially perhaps, synagogue's amongst other such places. Even sporting arena's may not be immune to attack. This is not to appear scare-mongering; it is merely an expression of common-sense. As citizens of the world, irrespective of creed, colour or calling, we have a collective duty to look out for each other, to love our neighbours and to strive to do towards others as we ourselves would desire to be treated. If we do so, we adhere to the Prime Commandment not only of Christianity, but Islam too and as such, there can be no simpler and bloodless way to defeat the common enemy.

May Peace and Blessings be upon you all now, and always. Amen.

By

Chris Green

Beşparmak Media Services