PCOF
Yes to the fight for freedom of expression
No to obscurantism and xenophobia
No to "national unity" with reaction
Yes to solidarity and brotherhood
The murder of 12 people, including the main cartoonists and
journalists of Charlie Hebdo, arouses great emotion and anger among our
people.
It is freedom of expression, of criticism, of the right to ridicule, that the perpetrators of this dastardly murder wanted to kill. It is to say “no”, we will not back down, we will not be intimidated, that tens of thousands of people took to the streets on the night of the attack, which aims to spread terror and to create fear.
The other message of these rallies is the refusal to condemn anything that fuels Islamophobia.
For weeks, "intellectuals" have been pouring out their hatred against Islam in front of microphones and on TV shows. Today, the places frequented by Muslims are the targets of attack. As we said in our press release of January 7, "We need to stop the exploitation of religion, of any kind, to divide and undermine the values of brotherhood and tolerance." That is why we defend secularism, the right of everyone to believe or not to believe, the right to criticize any religion, to ridicule it.
The President of the Republic reiterated forcefully that France is at war against terrorism. This speech is reminiscent of that of Bush after September 11. Much of the media and many politicians are repeating that comparison and calling, together with him, for "national unity."
We do not want this "national unity."
It is true that Hollande and his government are engaged in real wars on several fronts: in Mali, the Sahel and, in coalitions as in Iraq. These wars are not only bound to fail – just look at the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan – but they fuel the jihadist groups with men and supporters. That is why our party and others have always denounced this war policy, which is accompanied by alliances with reactionary forces and which are part of the dangerous vision of the "clash of civilizations."
We do not want more national unity with the right. A right that finds it normal for this unity to include the National Front.
In the present context, it is not that "national unity" that we need, but to unite in the fight against the policy of poverty and war, for the brotherhood and solidarity among the peoples.
The unity for which we fight is the unity of the people, of the working class around its interests and those of the peoples. It is the unity in the fight for social progress, for democracy.
Paris, January 8, 2015
Communist Party of the Workers of France
Site: www.pcof.net
Email: pcof@pcof.net
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