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Millions of French lamented the attack on Charlie Hebdo. Now the process begins. One is far from unity, says the former editor of the German edition.
After the attacks against the editorial team, 1.5 million people took to the streets in Paris Photo: Peter Dejong / AP
taz: Ms. Straßenburg, on January 11, 2015, 1.5 million people took to the streets in Paris against Islamist terrorism, and in France it was 3.7 million. Everyone was “Charlie”. What is left of him?
Romy Strassenburg: Those who participated in this “March of the Republic” remembers very well the healing effect of that day, the feeling of being able to counteract fear and impotence. However, even then the opinions were more different from what was perceived outside. Charlie hebdo it had few readers, the humor was never compatible with the masses. However, the name suddenly represented national unity, solidarity. However, this was just a snapshot, there was no unification or healing process. On the contrary: the National Front remained strong, President Macron deepened social divisions after his election through neoliberal politics, and police violence increased.
Why is there so little left of the initial feeling?
Because 2015, with its big questions about identity, religion and terror, was replaced by new questions that revealed new divisions within society. In 2015, we talked about young Muslims left behind in the suburbs who are radicalizing and becoming terrorists. Since Macron, we have spoken again of a white French lower class in the urban peripheries that no longer see prospects for the future and does not flinch from violence. Therefore, France is probably even further away from social unity or peace than it was in 2015.
Has the debate between secularism and religion changed in France?
Attacks on Charlie hebdo and the Jewish supermarket was not only the painful prelude to a whole series of crimes motivated by Islamists. Above all, they showed that French society does not have enough integrative power to protect young French people from religious radicalization and that this is a great danger that can be. That questioned secularism quite decisively. If everything religious is transferred to the private sphere due to the principle of the separation of Church and State, this field is also out of control. For the defenders of the secular principle, however, the facts were precisely proof that one can counter radicalization only through republican values and institutions. In principle, the positions of both sides have been solidified. Some see secularism as a bulwark, others as an excessive, even dangerous principle.
How is freedom of the press discussed today? After all, there were quite a few who blamed “Charlie Hebdo” for the events …
Freedom of the press is always a problem, of course. But here there is no unanimous opinion either, because only the personal level of the reasonable is very different, also in matters of humor. It has always bothered me that so many Charlie equated with French humor, and by no means all French laugh at them Charlie-Cartoons. What is true, however, is that since the attacks there has always been a particular sensitivity and the question of how blasphemous you can still be if you are exposing yourself to danger.
How real do you consider the threat of radical Islamism to France today? What role do women play in this?
Born in 83, he lives in Paris. He was editor-in-chief of the German edition of “Charlie Hebdo” and teaches at a journalism school in Paris.
I believe that there is a danger, although the security authorities have tried in recent years to investigate the entire scene and break the support networks. The process will demonstrate that for the logistics of the CharlieMurders of many people were necessary, as was the case in the series of attacks on November 13, 2015. I hope that planning comes to light today. And, yes, research shows that women could receive more terrorist missions in the future because they are less in the focus of security authorities.
Although the wounds are still deep, there seems to be little interest in the process …
There is no lack of interest. There are many people who have other concerns about Corona than the time and energy to deal with the events of five years ago.
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