Fear of Extremism as irrational as Fear of Spiders

Charlie Hebdo march, January 2015 (Image: smh.com.au)

What do you fear? Everyone deep down has a phobia or at least feel uncomfortable about something, regardless of the scale of the fear. Whether it is spiders, the dark or heights - we all have a feeling of discomfort of some kind and for those who don't think they feel fear, trust me, you do.

But fears of spiders, heights or the dark are irrational fears. For those who suffer from the likes of arachnophobia, it is down to a past, negative experience that has been remembered by your subconscious. Nobody likes to fear these things but it's the way of life. Fear is a perfectly natural emotion that we should acknowledge and while we can combat one fear, there is bound to be another to defeat. It depends on how much you want it to eat up your life.

Irrational fears are justified - you can understand why a certain individual fears spiders. If one fell on your head that made you jump, it can be quite a traumatic experience. They are personal. For me, all fears are irrational but in the world of media, they seem to have an impression that some phobias are rational and as social media, traditional and broadcasting platforms are becoming increasingly accessible, these fears tend to get into the minds of the masses.

These fears are personally targeted, and are generalised in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable. In particular, the fear I am thinking of is the rise of extremism - and not just 'extremism' - Islamic extremism. This has been under heavy scrutiny over the past two weeks after the tragic scenes that Paris and its suburbs endured in three nightmarish days that started when twelve people were needlessly killed in a magazine headquarters. Charlie Hebdo, a satirist title, was the host to truly awful scenes that people around the world felt connected to.

The killings was announced by the global news scene almost as soon as it happened. It provoked the very popular use of the hashtag "Je Suis Charlie". Over two million descended to Champs-Elysees on the Sunday following the horror scene to pay their respects and highlight that they will not be defeated by the rising threat of terrorism.

And it is the latter that has gotten people shivering in their boots. While the first few days, the media world mourned the death of Charlie Hebdo's employees, ever since it appears they are forgotten and we are delving into the debate about the rising threat of extremism. This has been fuelled by the fact that in Belgium earlier this week, police officers raided a house and two people were killed and another arrested, but these people were not only 'extremists' - but Islamic extremists.

Now, I condemn all sorts of terrorism (who doesn't?), and I do acknowledge their potential to destruct, but does the media need to emphasise the fact that the recent atrocities is down to people who claim to kill in the name of Allah? There are nearly two billion people around the world who follow Islam, yet it is the very small minority that ruin it for the massive majority who follow the religion in good faith. And it is that massive majority who feel they have no choice but to defend themselves every time an "Islamic extremist" commits evil.

You can argue that this is a sticky time for Islam. The faith has been on the back foot and it has been fuelled since certain Middle Eastern countries decided to link religion with politics. I have always been against the concept of linking the two together but it has been the case in recent decades which has provoked anger in the religion. Certain people are furious about how their country is being treated due to their leaders' corruption, they feel they need to retaliate as "the West are doing nothing to help the situation". There's no justification to commit crimes as horrid as some people have but there has to be a way for these extremists to control their anger, and ensure the world is a fearless place, rather than a place that is feared. All it takes is one person who has the potential to change everything. The current Pope for example has so far performed miracles and Catholics are being perceived in a more positive sight, and it is down to his vision and genuine connection to the modern world.

Honestly, if I ruled the world, I'd stop religion touching politics. Irish politics distanced itself not so long ago and they're thankful for it. Ireland is the place to go where in the 1970s and 80s it was the place to avoid. Funnily enough last Friday (16th January) marked 434 years since Queen Elizabeth I influenced her government to outlaw Catholicism and now, British politics disassociate itself with the Church of England which I can only think is a positive thing.

Have the extremists who killed twelve people in Charlie Hebdo headquarters taken away people's freedom of speech? Possibly. But for me, the freedom of speech is a figure of speech. I am a campaigner of people who want to speak their mind, but every time I do something, I always consider whatever the person I'm targeting thinks. Charlie Hebdo caused controversy recently when they published a cartoon of Prophet Muhammad knowing that it would provoke people to gasp. In Islam, they state there is no image of the Prophet and it is respected that nobody pictures this either, so when Charlie Hebdo did so, it angered a lot of people sparking widespread protest.

You can argue that I fear other people's reactions for my actions but to me, I tend to avoid confrontation, which is probably why I would never be an editor of a satirical magazine. I mentioned in my last post that we need to take satire seriously and the recent events in Paris reflects that. Let's not fuel the anger and embrace faith the way it is meant to be.