The "but" line.
Some people say "I condemn the attack on Charlie Hebdo".
Some people say "I condemn the attack on Charlie Hebdo, but..."
If, at the same time as condemning the murder of 12 innocent people, you also condemn them for insulting Mohammed then a) you're wrong - while the right to insult Mohammed is under threat, as has just been graphically demonstrated it is, then insulting him is not merely justifiable, it's heroic and necessary, and b) your implicit blaming of the victim completely invalidates your condemnation of the murder, in exactly the same way that "I condemn rape, but she shouldn't have worn a short skirt".
There is a clear, hard line in the sand, and that line is "but". The only acceptable thing to put after "I condemn the attack on Charlie Hebdo" is "and": "and I support their right to freedom of speech".
= new reply since forum marked as read
