Cartoons were recklessly provocative

The global condemnation in response to the recent terrorist killings in Paris is commendable.

The killings were, however, entirely predictable, given the puerile, reckless and openly provocative cartoons produced over the years by Charlie Hebdo, gratuitously depicting Mohamed in the most insulting and unsavoury manner.

History, even recent history, has shown that alienated and radicalised young Muslim men, boys and even young girls, are capable of the worst atrocities, particularly those crammed without hope or education into appalling ghettos in Paris and elsewhere.

It is well known that these unfortunates are easily primed to react violently to such provocation, based on the false promise of martyrdom and unlimited gifts in the next life.

These misguided misfits, are of course, excluded on a daily basis from the much vaunted ideals ‘Liberte, Egalite and fraternete’, so beloved but practiced selectively by the French.

The reaction was shrouded in hypocrisy as was evidenced by Enda Kenny rushing to Paris to stand shoulder to shoulder with such noble upholders of those lofty if unattainable aims, including the Saudi Ambassador, Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of the Russian and Turkish governments.

What price now unfettered freedom of speech when the French have to deploy 35,000 security and police personnel throughout the country and other European countries are and will remain on high alert for the foreseeable future, while violent demonstrations are today increasingly commonplace throughout much of Africa, Asia and the Middle East?

Je ne suis pas Charlie.

John Leahy

Wilton Road

Cork