Reply to Founding Member of Charlie Hebdo Says Slain Editor "Dragged' Team to their Death

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[quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]
... I don't think most decent  Muslims will identify with that speech, and thus I question why his temporary detention will reinforce a perception of hostility against Muslims.
[/quote]

It's not a matter of identifying with that particular speech. Most Muslims will never know the specifics of what he said. It is simply an issue of what appears to be different standards. Offending Muslims is free speech. Offending other groups is illegal. This inconsistency is noticed by more than just Muslims. See this article:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/french-arrests-draw-charges-of-free-speech-hypocrisy/

"What I would say is on occasion those laws are unevenly applied," said Karin Deutsch Karlekar, who specializes in freedom of the press at Freedom House, a nonprofit that promotes freedom, democracy and human rights. "And certain people are charged, or arrested or prosecuted under the laws and others are not."
...

"When you have these laws on the books that are difficult to get your hands around, these are the problems you're going to get," said Roy Gutterman, the director of the Newhouse School's Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University.

"Are you going to prosecute one, and then let somebody else go? Which racial or religious epithet is worthy of prosecution and which are worthy of letting slide? It's a real slippery slope, even if the stuff is hateful and offensive."
...

"It is quite cynical that the reaction of the French authorities is to undermine the very free speech values that Charlie Hebdo stands up for, that is satirical, irreverent and sometimes deeply offensive humor," said Thomas Hughes, the executive director of Article 19, a London-based free speech advocacy group, in an email to CBS News.

"Of course, incitement to terrorism should be criminalized but French law goes beyond that and effectively criminalizes opinions justifying terrorist acts without any likelihood or intent of such acts actually occurring. That violates international law."

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