Pardon me for not choosing a word stronger than "reprehensible." Those murders were abhorrent. An abomination. Heinous. What have you. Not sure you're reacting to my actual (intended) point. I'm not discussing Hebdo. Only the vague concept. Relax.
I'm in a "bubble" because i'm not French? Seriously? One 'off the cuff,' hastily chosen word wasn't a strong enough condemnation of an atrocity, and i 'disgust' you?
Educate me, please. No, i'm not a reader of Charlie Hebdo. What does secularism have to do with a publisher's (not a state's) choice to disregard a primary tenet of a religion? This isn't about what was 'legal' to publish. Your use of the word "demand" is misplaced. All i'm suggesting is that Hebdo's rationalization for publishing those images is either BS or overestimated. And, yeah, i believe there's more than a dash of arrogance involved. Doesn't mean i don't feel for their losses or believe that the resulting action wasn't as criminal as criminal can be.
I don't believe i suggested ANY of these things were EQUAL to the issue raised by the OP. If something "reminds" me of something else, that doesn't mean it's the very same thing....
Highlight 1: No.
Highlight 2: Yes, except that it wasn't just one ill-chosen word or phrase: it was the whole tenor of what you posted, including your apparent belief that we all have to obey "one simple rule" propagated by one religion. And your bubble is nothing to do with your not being French: I'm not French either. It's because you've never read Charlie Hebdo and know nothing at all about the magazine. Yes, it's often juvenile and scatological, but grown-ups can handle that. Partly it's genuinely funny (at least half a dozen good cartoons per issue); partly it has excellent political insights; and partly it punctures pomposity and exposes stupidity.
Highlight 3: Everything. If I can publish an "offensive" cartoon of (say) one of the Bush clan, or Sarkozy, or anyone else, then
in a secular state I can publish an "offensive" cartoon of anything. And indeed I should. Secularism means that religion can't claim any special privileges, especially when it comes to attacks on pomposity and stupidity. The Catholic church is the butt (sometimes literally) of quite vicious cartoons, far more inflammatory than any drawing of the Prophet (peace be upon him), but
in a secular state, they have to put up with it. Putting up with it is good for them: it makes them realize that they can't do whatever they like, whenever they like.
You don't seem to be understand what such cartoons are for. They are to make people see things from a different angle; maybe, even to think. Some people are terrified of anything that suggests there is any other way of looking at things than their own, and therefore want everyone to adopt their own little narrow-minded world picture.
Ain't gonna happen. Tough.
Cheers,
R.