The murder of four French cartoonists today followed attacks on Danish and Swedish cartoonists over the past few years. At least one American cartoonist who supported the Danes had to go into hiding. Even before today, a climate of fear had developed, with many editors exercising self-censorship. Charlie Hebdo was a conspicuous exception, a platform that exulted in satirising Christians and Jews as well as Muslims.
And what a terrible, disproportionate price the staff paid.
In addition, cartoonists from Malaysia to Kuwait are currently being prosecuted by governments or subjected to death threats by the so-called Islamic State, according to the Cartoonists’ Rights Network.
Many on the Internet described the Paris massacre as an attack on freedom of speech. For once the Internet wasn’t exaggerating.
Freedom of speech and freedom of satire has been curtailed progressively over the past 20 years. I grew up when the Catholic Church still exerted a stifling influence on this state. At the time of the first abortion referendum, editors wouldn’t touch cartoons criticising the pro-life movement.
Yet jokes poking fun at core tenets of Irish Catholicism were published. There was one about the Last Supper, with an apostle saying “This is the only place you can get a drink on Good Friday.” Also a few more about Jesus and the Blessed Virgin. Try getting away with that today.
There are always going to be some limits on free speech. The trouble is that the limits are being extended, not merely by religious or right-wing extremists but also by the PC left, leaving the satirist caught in a pincer movement.
The award-winning American cartoonist, Ruben Bolling summed it up: “Satire is a wholly ineffective means to change reality. Yet it frightens and enrages those whose view of reality relies on self-deception.”
Today there will be condemnation of this barbaric act. Tomorrow I fear there will will be even greater self-censorship.
Aongus Collins is a newspaper cartoonist and writer. You can see his work here.
Read: Political cartoonists react to Charlie Hebdo attack
Read: Charlie Hebdo's history of satire: "I'd rather die standing than live on my knees."
