Gordon Forgey

Last week 17 were killed in France by Muslim terrorists in a rampage that included an attack on the controversial French magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher market. Journalists, cartoonists, innocent shoppers, a maintenance worker and three policeman were among those killed.

Police killed the three terrorists.

France, Europe and the rest of the world reacted.

Marches and peaceful protests broke out spontaneously. An organized march on Sunday brought out more than a million people in Paris. Marchers carried signs and flags, but the most dramatic symbol was a simple pen or pencil, signifying their defense of freedom of speech and expression.

The marches have shown solidarity against threats to free expression. They also have shown solidarity in outrage over violence.

The massive crowd that thronged Paris was made up of people of every religion, social background and ethnic heritage.

A concerted effort was made to keep this from becoming an anti-Muslim protest. Muslim leaders decried the violence and attacks on innocents, and Muslims took part in the marches.

Nevertheless, what to do about the increasing violence of religious extremists was never far from the surface.

Maybe an idea that came about after the Muslim attack on a coffee shop in Australia could help.

In the aftermath of that attack, Australians offered to help Muslims safely get around, hoping to defuse any potential violence against them.

Perhaps, it is time for Muslims to actively make sure non-Muslim citizens in their countries are safe.

Muslims are a billion strong, and so far they seem to be a vast, but silent, majority. That silence is deadly.

It is time non-violent Muslims rise against the carnage their brothers and sisters are causing just as most of the rest of the world has.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher