Another notch in the world at war - Copenhagan free speech terror attack

We're living in a world that's at war. Let's call it what it is. Now, Copenhagan in Denmark is the target of another free speech (je suis Charlie in Paris) terrorist attack. This is yet another notch in the map of places where terrorists have launched murderous attacks. We're definitely living in a world war, where western culture is under attack by against Islamic extremism.


For some reason, probably trying to keep peace with reasonable Muslims, President Barack Obama refuses to identify the world war enemy as Islamic extremism. Instead, he calls the terrorists
"religious extremists".


Whatever President Obama wants to call them, these extremist evil doers go about the world screaming the name of the prophet Mohammed, while killing people who they claim are desecrating his image. 


Religious extremists, regardless of whether they're Islamic or any other religion, are often driven to violence to get their zealous intentions recognized. 


Islamic extremists are now resorting to suppression of speech, of any kind, anarchy, murder and the violent suppression of women, to force their evil to replace individual freedoms. This evil promulgation will never succeed. Nevertheless, tragically, the Islamic extremists will murder and terrorize millions of people, before they  finally fail. 


With Copenhagen now another notch in the world terrorism attack map, the world war is growing by the month.  Attacks by Al Qaeda in Africa predated the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington DC. Since those attacks, terrorism has spread through Islamic extremist splinter groups with the most evil serpent being the Islamic State- a self proclaimed terrorist nation. 


Meanwhile, as the world struggles to identify terrorist cells and eradicate the ISIS advances in the Middle East, the Russian "Czar" Vladimir Putin is taking advantage of the fearful distractions. One thing we can say about Putin he that he puts terrorists away so we never hear from them again. Meanwhile, his own world leadership ambitions are going to take back former Soviet property like a thief in the night. Frankly, with the world at war against Islamic extremists, not many Western nations have the wherewithal to starve Putin's power hunger.


So, we're a world at war. 


Although Americans are reluctant to be the aggressors in the fight against Islamic extremism, the brutal alternatives are to "fight them over there or risk fighting them here". 


Copenhagen's "free speech" attack on Valentine's Day, has just put another notch in the world map, to validate this reality.


(CNN) Two gunmen stormed a Copenhagen, Denmark, building where controversial cartoonist Lars Vilks and his supporters had gathered Saturday, killing a man and wounding three police officers, before fleeing the scene, police said.

Helle Merete Brix -- the founder of the Lars Vilks Committee, created two years ago in support of the Swedish cartoonist whose portrayals of the Prophet Mohammed angered many in the Muslim world -- told CNN, that security personnel on site moved her and others to safe areas, after shots rang out. She and Vilks ended up in a storage room together, holding hands, until police told them it was OK to come out.


Je suis Charlie.
 

Great Britain's Prince Charles is opening up a discussion about the radicalization of youth

This is a socialogical discussion raised by Prince Charles, about what he calls "radicalization" of youths.  

In fact, it's an alarming question.

Prince Charles suggested "....when he becomes king, he may still be sworn in as Defender of the (Christian) Faith. There had been speculation that the title could be changed to encompass all faiths."

Why is it we're reading and seeing startling imagery of our world's youths being rallied to fundamentalism and Islamic extremism? 

Moreover, others among our world's youths who are trying to expose the evils caused by extremists. Both sides are exposing themselves to extraordinary dangers and death.

Honestly, I doubt the world's youth would respond to nations where leaders were commanding them to take up banners in support of seditious extremists groups.  Obviously, there'll always be fringe elements that seem to find their voice in extremism. Yet, radical terrorism movements have found their stride in recruiting young people, while reasonable voices have had little, if any, impact on curbing the flow of sympathizers who take up sedition, especially those who kill while screaming the name of the Prophet Mohammed.

Sadly, there's something innate in the psyche of the young that drives them towards seeking out risk taking behaviors. 

Prince Charles calls for an awareness about "radicalization" of Great Britain's youth.  Yet, his Royal awareness should also put the world on notice.  Obviously, the "radicalization" Prince Charles speaks about isn't exclusive to Great Britain.

8 February 2015 Last updated at 09:11 ET

Prince Charles says radicalisation of young people 'alarming'

The Prince of Wales has described the extent to which young people are becoming radicalised as "alarming" and one of the "greatest worries".

In an interview with Radio 2's The Sunday Hour, Prince Charles spoke of his hopes to "build bridges" between different faiths.

He also spoke of his "deep concern" for the suffering of Christian churches in the Middle East.

He is currently in Jordan on a six-day tour of the region.

The prince arrived in the capital Amman on Saturday night and held talks with King Abdullah II on Sunday.

After a visit to a refugee camp, the prince congratulated the Jordanians on being "wonderfully kind and hospitable" for putting so many Syrian refugees up in their country.

He visited the Za'atri camp, near the Jordanian border with war-torn Syria, and toured a supermarket and a children's centre.

The camp is home to 85,000 people and the prince spoke to families and students. He also spoke to former British police officers who have been training Jordanian officers in community policing.'Constructive paths'

On the radicalisation of young people, Prince Charles says: "Well, of course, this is one of the greatest worries, I think, and the extent to which this is happening is the alarming part.

"And particularly in a country, like ours, where you know the values we hold dear."

"You think that the people who have come here, [are] born here, go to school here, would imbibe those values and outlooks."

"The frightening part is that people can be so radicalised either through contact with somebody else or through the internet, and the extraordinary amount of crazy stuff which is on the internet."

He told the BBC programme he believed part of the reason some young people are radicalised is a "search for adventure and excitement at a particular age".

The prince also discussed the work of his charity The Prince's Trust in combating radicalisation.

He said: "What I have been trying to do all these years with the Prince's Trust, is to find alternatives for adolescents and people at a young age, for constructive paths for them to channel their enthusiasm, their energy, that sense of wanting to take risks and adventure and aggression and all these things.

"But you have to channel them into constructive paths."

The Radio 2 programme covers visits by the prince to Armenian, Roman Catholic Chaldean and Syrian Orthodox churches in the UK, and contains accounts from members of these denominations who have had to flee persecution in Syria and Iraq.

He said: "I particularly wanted to show solidarity really, deep concern for what so many of the Eastern Christian churches are going through in the Middle East.'Protector of faiths'

"Christianity was founded in the Middle East which we often forget. From a morale point I hope it showed they were not forgotten. I wish I could do more. Many of us do wish we could do more.

"I think what doesn't bear thinking about is people of one faith, a believer, could kill another believer. That's the totally bewildering aspect in our day and age."

He suggested that when he becomes king, he may still be sworn in as Defender of the (Christian) Faith. There had been speculation that the title could be changed to encompass all faiths.

However, he said he believed an important part of the role was to be a "protector of faiths", defending every religion in multicultural Britain.

During the interview, the prince also considered how different communities could live alongside each other.

He told the programme: "I think the secret is that we have to work harder to build bridges and we have to remember that our Lord taught us to love our neighbour, to do to others as you would do to you and just to go on despite the setbacks and despite the discouragement to try and build bridges and to show justice and kindness to people."'Activist prince'

The broadcast comes after a new book claiming the prince wants to redefine the monarchy was published.

The book's author, Catherine Mayer, said he has an "extraordinary relationship in the Gulf."

She added: "It's partly just because he's a prince. Also he gave a speech on Islam in 1993 in which he talked about Islam not having a monopoly on extremism and he talked about the Christian crusades, and he talked about the good things in Islam."

But anti-monarchy group Republic said the prince's views must be subject to scrutiny.

Graham Smith, Republic's CEO, said: "MPs in particular need to face up to the new reality of an activist prince and must be free to openly challenge what Charles says."

• The Sunday Hour was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 8 February.

Je suis charlie - defending French right to speech but not necessarily Charlie Hebdo magazine

Two discreet issues in the "je suis charlie" movement stand out.

One is the public bereavement for the innocent people who were murdered by Islamic extremists in France. The murderers overtly called out the name of the Prophet Mohammed, as they gunned down victims.  

On the other hand, the clarion call "je suis charlie" also supports freedom of speech, intellectual thought and even abrasive dissent against societal standards.

Muslims are apparently threatened by the "je suis charlie" public response, because fundamental Islam religion seems to squelch free speech. 

Islamic extremists killed 12 people when they attacked Charlie Hebdo’s Paris offices, after its publication of satirical cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, which Islamic dogma expressly forbids.

A week after an estimated 4 million people in France held peaceful rallies for freedom of speech in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack, Muslims around the world are expressing concern over what they see as continued disrespect for their religion.

“Many of France’s Muslims ... abhor the violence that struck the country last week,” The Washington Post reported. “But they are also revolted by the notion that they should defend the paper.”

Millions in cities around the world rallied to defend freedom of speech, repeating the oft-cited saying, “I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

In response, The Christian Science Monitor reports anti-Charlie Hebdo protests erupted from those who believe that the magazine crossed the line with its cartoons and abused the right to free speech. (Julie's note:  In my opinion, the only way to abuse the right to free speech is to obstruct it...!)

Unfortunately, "je suis charlie" seems to have become a political slogan, rather than a call to support freedom for all people against the terrorism perpetrated by extremism.  

As for me, the slogan "je suis charlie" is a tribute to the journalists who are now martyrs to the terrorism of Islamic extremists. Religious murderers have no cause to kill or harm anyone in the name of the Prophet Mohammed, because he happened to be featured in a cartoon. Regardless, if people support or disapprove of the Prophet Mohammed being portrayed in a cartoon, the fact is, killing people as a result of the publication will only cause his image to be sought after and circulated.

Although "je suis charlie" may not necessarily be a defense of "Charlie Hebdo", the magazine, it's certainly a summons against the terrorism perpetrated by Islamic extremists. These are two issues summarized in one bumper sticker phrase.  

Even those who have no understanding  of French "get" the emotion behind "je suis charlie". The phrase has taken on an identity of its own and may well be engraved on the standards of European unity flags.  

Muslim extremists can protest "je suis charlie" all they want. They won't reverse the rising tide of anti-Islamic extremism in Europe. Moreover, anti-je suis charlie responses won't solve the horror of terrorism. Freedom of speech will not be compromised.