The director of the French magazine, “Nouvelle Cité,” Dominique Bonnet, wrote: «Like all the French, we were shocked by last week’s events, a tragedy that led about four million people to rally in solidarity, on Sunday, 11 January 2015.
«As a publishing house – he continued – we felt it was our duty to react to the attack and murder of the cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo, but to also give a positive message, that is, underlining the “coexistence” we want to build with all people and all religions. Because of this we chose to express our ideas through a cartoon that does not repeat the slogan, “Je suis Charlie,” but “Je suis avec Charlie” [I am with Charlie]. In fact we do not share the editorial policy of that paper. The four cartoonists who were killed appear on the top of our cartoon. Out of respect for their motivations as atheists, we thought that the phrase “Il ne vont quand même pas nous canoniser” [“They are not trying to make us saints are they?!”], as very fitting. The slogan at the bottom of the cartoon expresses our view of that idea of “coexistence.”» The cartoon was published on 10 January on the site of “Nouvelle Cité” and relaunched on Facebook and Twitter.
The massive participation in the peace march in Paris was amazing, and reverberated across the globe. «The TV channels broadcasted many interviews of people in the crowd and some testimonials were really moving – Jean Michel Merlin, New City’s reporter in Paris wrote. [Like that Muslim woman with a veil, whose son, a military, had been killed by terrorists in the south of France, and who tried to console the Rabbi who had come from Tunisia to verify the death of his son. The Rabbi talked about how his son was afraid to wear the kippah, while the woman spoke about how her veil aroused the looks and comments from others. “Be strong – the Muslim woman said to the Rabbi – you have to muster all your courage, but we must stand firm. I am French and proud to be one, but we must overcome.” It seemed that the future lies in this painful dialogue.»]
«The lights of “this togetherness” have been dimmed – Merlin concluded. Tomorrow we will have to coexist. But in the various interviews this term takes on different hues. In France people are seriously wondering: has religiosity been relegated to a strictly private sphere? To what extent can the freedom of expression be pushed? For three hours in Paris, under a winter sun, thousands of hearts warmed themselves by speaking to one another.»
The members of the Focolare in France not only declare their commitment to remain faithful to the Time-out for peace action, that is done throughout the world at 12 noon every day, but also to take part in doubling our efforts in interreligious dialogue with actions of all sorts, like “Vivre ensemble a Cannes,” now at its fourth edition. The city of Cannes won the “2015 Chiara Lubich Award for fraternity.” The awarding ceremony was held in Capitol Hill in Rome, on 17 January: and the prize was received by a delegation of 15 representatives of interreligious dialogue.