Following this attack, there is a major question: who will ensure the continuity of the newspaper? Because it is necessary that this newspaper continue to be published. I propose that a team of voluntary and benevolent journalists work towards the publication of the next issue of Charlie, which will be released next week. This would be our best response to these fools.
With this attack, I relive the horror of 1996. The daily newspaper for which I worked, the Soir d'Algérie, was attacked and destroyed, its headquarters no more and three journalists killed. Despite this, we decided to publish the next issue, whatever the cost. El Watan hosted us, and the issue was released two days later. We had demonstrated that the terrorists had killed men, journalists, but not their ideas, much less their newspaper, their souls and their readers.
Today, we must tell these terrorists that they did not kill this republican thought that is both anti-racist and virulent against religions. Charlie Hebdo makes this nuanced distinction: one can be on the political left, fight against racism and mock religion without fear.
We must also tell them that people deeply committed to freedom of the press are only ten times stronger than the terrorists who love Allah. That they understand that all of the threats, all of the attacks, all of the violence against freedom of the press are in vain. We will always continue to write, to draw and to laugh.
They killed two of my closest friends. I will never forgive them. But they will never kill their essence.
This blog post was originally published on HuffPost France and was translated into English.