Sally Balcaen

Un grand merci pour votre commentaire Abbé. Vous êtes la première a me repondre!
First, I would like to clarify something. I do speak French; I also read it fluently. If you know French so well, my last name should have been an easy indicator. Do you know many Americans with the last name Balcaen? You see, I am a Belgian citizen with knowledge of European culture. My entire family lives in Belgium and I have spent summers there. As far as France, while I have only traveled through it sparingly, I do know some basics. What I do not know, I ask my parents, whom spent much of their lives in Europe.
Secondly, yes, garbage sells. Tabloids are an excellent example of this.
It is true that the newer generation in Europe are increasingly rejecting the Catholic faith and turning to atheism; in my family, it is the older members in my family that attend church while the younger ones do not. But atheism is not the point that I am addressing. The point that I am making is that I believe Charlie went too far in mocking the Muslim people and religion in so blatant a way. The Muslim subculture in France are more and more alienated, as well as in Belgium. I would know, I have Moroccan family who live there. And I believe it is dangerous to target an already-alienated minority.
Perhaps you, as a French-speaking atheist would not find Charlie offensive; “progressive”, I believe, was the word you used. Well, then I ask you to look at it from the perspective of a religious Muslim, or anyone that practiced a religion, for that matter. It’s downright insulting. I would not use “intellectual drawing” (as you called it) so much as “disgusting”. Pornographic and lewd poses and racist depictions are not intellectual. I know that I would be embarrassed to show any of Charlie’s Muhammad cartoons to my Moroccan cousins. It would be insulting to them and their faith. You found that the cartoons simply mocked dogmatic faith, but that was not my interpretation. You would be naïve to say that France is not Islamophobic. I know for a fact that it is.
It is possible that Charlie did manage to produce some valid content. But I believe that validity is lost with vulgarity.
If Charlie is the shining light of France’s publications, then I must breathe a sigh of relief that I am Belgian, not French.

Sincèrement,
Sally Balcaen