Not only as a journalist, but also as a citizen I raise my pen and I stand up for freedom of speech and respect of human rights in the future.
With sadness, anger and solidarity various thoughts are crossing my mind today. Assassination of Charlie Hebdo's journalists and cartoonists is horrible and this cruel terrorist act in which twelve people died is unacceptable. It shook up the perception of freedom.
But I am not quite sure, whether we are aware of the consequences.
While this attack hit us as an earthquake directly in the heart of democracy, a very extreme and dangerous aftershock might follow in the future. I am afraid it has already begun.
The social movement that gives me the creeps, PEGIDA, the whole right wing of radicals and nationalists uses heartless this spilled blood as water on their mill. But blood is thicker than water and I hope this will slow down their wheel.
And also, do we want to live in the world where journalists are afraid of what they do? Where exactly are we now?
Journalism is not a job. It is a mission to inform, to present different views on various ways. A lot of courage will be needed. To continue. To win.
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