Freedom of expression: With or without insult?

Do the cartoons published by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo fall within the scope of freedom of expression? This is the critical question raised by the Paris massacre on Jan. 7, which serves as an opportunity for each of us to face up to the reality.

The front cover of the first edition of the magazine since last week?s attack is a cartoon of Prophet Muhammad, shedding a tear and holding up a sign saying ?I am Charlie.?

The mainstream American and British newspapers did not reproduce this cover. The Guardian published the cartoon, but with the warning that it ?contains an image that some may find offensive.? The Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, on the other hand, inflamed the discussion in Turkey by publishing excerpts from the last edition.

Now, we are all trying to find the answer to the following question: Does the religiously sacred constitute the boundary of freedom of expression?

This discussion has three main aspects. One of them is related to the West, the other one is related to the Islamic world, and the third to the relation between the two.

Let?s start with the Islamic world. Charlie Hebdo has mocked the sacred figures of not only Islam, but also of Judaism and Christianity. Yet it is only Muslims who have shown such a brutal reaction.

Therefore, the Paris massacre has forced Muslims to face the fact that they need to express their reaction via civil and legal means, rather than violence. Today, the argument about whether Islam needs to go through a ?reformation? is widely being raised.

Jan. 7 has also set off an important discussion within the West. The fact that mainstream American and British newspapers censored the last cover revealed a disagreement among Western societies....