And so when a community is under sustained attack from fringe extremist elements, one of the best long-term demonstrations of solidarity is to embrace that community’s publications. And it was in this spirit that millions of people around the world suddenly felt a compulsion to own a copy of Charlie Hebdo, regardless of their opinions on the merits (or lack thereof) of the paper’s contents over the years. In the aftermath of a terrorist event, ordinary people are driven to respond with an act that loudly and clearly expresses their rejection and revulsion at the attack.
Marches are all very well and good, but it is highly unlikely that the scale of this January’s massive march in Paris will ever be repeated. Twitter hashtags-Very fleeting and very much of-the-moment. An effective long term response is necessary to support a community under long term threat.
And while the Jews in one’s local community may not face the same level of violence and intimidation as Jews in other parts of the world, the nature of global anti-Semitism is such that Jews anywhere can at anytime become targets from any source no matter how distant or remote the threat may seem, as evidenced by the recent Hizbollah terrorist organization’s threats to strike Jews anywhere in the world in retaliation for its recent high level losses in Syria.
Not everyone can be a Lassana Bathily, the Mali-born employee of the targeted Paris Kosher supermarket who saved countless lives by hiding customers during the attack. But individuals can still achieve a great deal by standing with those whom extremists would target. Heaven forbid that anyone should ever suffer a terrorist attack ever again, but let’s not wait until after an atrocity to express “Je Suis <insert latest victims here>.” Society’s embrace and acceptance of its minorities are the surest shield and protection against opportunistic acts of hate against those minorities. Terrorism thrives in an atmosphere and environment of unchallenged and unchecked hatred.
Holocaust commemorations are held just once a year, and if a society feels compelled to respond to atrocities in its midst with million-person marches, by that time it is too late, extremism has already dug its roots deep into that society. Extremism is more effectively fought on the local level, with small, daily acts of kindness towards those that may be vulnerable, and the ostracizing of those groups and individuals who are hateful in their speech and behavior (I’m looking at you George Galloway, you shameful carpetbagger). Global extremism is most effectively fought by very local acts of consideration.
And in this day and age, fighting extremism can be as simple as buying a newspaper. Şalom.