I have been writing about the Intifada in France and in Europe, certainly in Israel—as well as the coming Intifada in North America—for a long time. Back in 2004-2005, I urged everyone to read Jean Raspail's 1973 brilliant, dystopian novel The Camp of the Saints immediately. Raspail envisioned a group of hostile "Others," in a flotilla, who land in France, are royally welcomed, and proceed to devastate and destroy France.
I again urge people to read this book now.
I and a small and much maligned group of scholars and journalists (Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Bruce Bawer, Bat-Ye'or, Paul Berman, Steven Emerson, Orianna Fallaci, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Pipes, Ibn Warraq) have warned about, even predicted a growing Intifada in the West as well as in Muslim countries. However, this Intifada is not necessarily visible to the Western intelligentsia. Even today, media and government leaders desperately prattle on about how Islam is a religion of peace—even after 9/11, 3/11, 7/7, the assassination of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, the Shoe Bomber, the Fort Hood Shooter, the rise of ISIS, Boko Haram, Hamas—and now the Muslim massacre of journalists and cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo.
Some Western journalists write that the massacre was due to Charlie Hebdo's having "provoked" the attack by insulting Islam. Yes, the satirical magazine insulted all religions and did not make an exception for Islam. Muslims expect that exception and will murder in order to get it. The West has mainly yielded.
Please recall: The Yale University Press chose not to publish the Danish Mohammed cartoons in a book about that very controversy; American cartoonist Molly ("Draw Mohammed Day") Norris is still in hiding on the West Coast. The brave Danes and Swedes (Flemming Rose, Hans Erling Jensen, Kurt Westergaard, and many more) have been sued, nearly assassinated, and forced to either live in hiding or under police protection for "insulting" Islam.
Several columns urge people not to confuse these Muslim terrorists with the majority of peaceful Muslims; worriedly note the rise of right-wing parties, especially in Europe—as if such parties are committing massacres. One columnist compared a negligible handful of Jewish extremists in Israel with Hamas, ISIS, Boko Haram, the Taliban, and Al-Qaeda.
Those who are not heroes would, to paraphrase Stéphane Charbonnier, rather "live on their knees than risk dying on their feet." Since yesterday, few Western media venues have reposted the Charlie Hebdo cartoons.
The Western right to criticize, including our most sacred cows, is on the line. Free thought is on the line as is free speech, freedom of religion, freedom from religion, human rights, women's rights, gay rights—the entire Western Enlightenment enterprise is on the line.
Every newspaper and magazine will need the kind of police protection that only Israel has been forced to pioneer. Soon, every journalist might need a bodyguard—and her bodyguard might also need a bodyguard. And so on—at least until we stand, fight, and militarily decimate every last Jihadist and pro-Jihadist idea left standing. Nothing less will do.
I hope that an increasing number of people of all religions are now ready to consider that the West and Western values are actually worth defending.
Vive La France! Bravo to all those who peacefully assembled to say "We are Charlie Hebdo."