Some say that friction caused between values such as “Religion vs. Freedom of Expression” and “Islam vs. Judaism and Christianity” underlie the shooting that devastated a weekly French satirical magazine that published a satirical cartoon of Muhammad, Charlie Hebdo.

Even the Christian media, who were thought to side with the advocates of “Freedom of Expression”, have been shown to be distancing themselves from Charlie Hebdo.

Throughout France, around 3.7 million demonstrators including leading politicians, carried signs and banners written on them the slogan “I am Charlie”.

On the 9th of January, however, the New York Times published an article titled “I am not Charlie Hebdo”, questioning the societal treatment of the victims and their families, now being regarded as martyrs of the freedom of speech.

In addition the article posited that although freedom of speech ought to be advocated, in the U.S., a provocative satirical weekly such as Charlie Hebdo would be considered with as much significance as a child’s argument.

In other American articles, such as the Associated Press, claim that they work on the principle of not publishing provocative images, and have thus refused to publish the cartoon of Muhammad by Charlie Hebdo. On an article published on the 15th of January, they further claimed they avoid any materials that discriminate against race, religion or gender.

Although “Le Figaro”, a French conservative newspaper, published the Hebdo cartoon right after the shooting, they have refrained from reproducing it in their special editions.

Despite media promoting an anti-Islam sentiment, as the public sent their sympathies to the victims in the early hours after the incident, it has gradually subsided restoring balance.

What society needs to consider now is not whether the Hebdo cartoon should be used or censored, but about questions that reach into the heart of this incident, such as “Who really is God?” and “Why does the Islamic faith oppose Judaism and Christianity” “Why do Islamic terrorists believe in a vengeful God?”.

But society must realize that those questions have already been answered. One has but to look.