Editorial: Europe needs to speak a language the violent will understand

Photo: Mihkel Maripuu

Freedom of expression and religion are foundational values, never to be given up! Countless in world and European history are the cases when words by somebody hurt the religious feelings in another. An achievement of civilisation being: such matters are debated in parliament and/or at court. This just cannot be that once not happy with what a fellow says, we grab a club or Kalashnikov.

Should Paris feel too abstract and too distant, let’s look to Paide. In the summer of 2014, this is what Postimees wrote regarding the symbolic attack on Mayor of said city: «Political debates are held in public space and over public issues. Anyone needs to have the right to express his political stands and participate in state and community matters without his family or home coming under attack.»

After the murder at office of Charlie Hebdo, numerous people, including in Estonia and on pages of Postimees, have used their freedom of expression to say that they also disliked the caricatures published in said journal. Whether these were liked or not, whether they hurt somebody’s feelings, whether their artistic level was «sufficient» ... For the sake of justice let’s underline that, as stated by most over here, nothing will justify killing.

Actually, in the French spirit, let us ask if sacredness can be insulted? And what does it even mean? From their initial translations of Arabic tales, both English and French purged out the most obscene episodes. To our current knowledge, this is distortion of original sources. Now, the same kind of censure is attempted by societies more religious than Europe. Everywhere, in Teheran, Iran and the Old Town of Tallinn, at Vene St, say, one would do well to remember that religion alone isn’t enough to define every person, his desires and peculiarities. 

Just for the sake of the fact of an act of terror committed, none may be attached in Estonia or Europe whoever is not guilty of direct crime. And, as written in Postimees today by Edward Lucas, in protecting one’s values one needs to stand firm and dignified.

Fear is a poor counsellor. With the violent ones, Europe needs to speak in a language the latter will understand. And in a language that our own citizens will understand. Freedom of expression and religion are foundational values, never to be given up!