The article explores the social and political responses of French society and Government to the aftermaths of the terrorist attack from 2015 against the Charlie Hebdo journalists. As political correctness shapes certain national policies in many countries with democratic traditions, this paper researches the political and social causes that led to the national and international success of the #JeSuisCharlie movement. The questions investigated are: how can the integration of Islamic religious communities can take place in the French secular culture and not affect the freedom of speech? The attack against Charlie Hebdo was perceived by French society and politicians as an attack against the French nation, in particular an attack against people who represent the fundamental values of this group (the "freedom of speech"). The conclusion of the paper is that French society is highly polarized on political correctness, how far freedom of expression can go, and how dangerous this freedom can be in a secular culture that has failed to assimilate radical Islamism. At the same time, the reactions to this attack point to a specific feature of French culture, namely that "the tension between the 'république comme Etat-nation' and the 'république comme système de valeurs universelles'" underlies many of the social and political conflicts in contemporary France.
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Non-student author
Author addressing title
Mrs.
First Name
Mădălina
Last Name
Constantin
Academic title
Other
Address
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E-mail
Madalina.Constantin@kontron.ro
Phone
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Institution/University
National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Bucharest
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