This month’s winner of the BFD Free Speech award is an unlikely winner as it is the country of France.

I still find it hard to believe that France, given its shameful history of appeasement, actually had the fortitude to stand up for free speech but nevertheless France deserves this month’s award for having the courage to not be cowed by an act of terror.

Perhaps they are starting to realise that if your reaction to a terror attack is to censor what can be said or drawn then you are empowering the terrorists. If instead they double down and react to every terror attack with even more free speech, they take away the terrorists’ power to cower the public into doing what the terrorists want.

By reacting to the beheading of a French History teacher (who was murdered by a Muslim refugee for teaching students about free speech and showing them Charlie Hebdo cartoons) by projecting Charlie Hebdo cartoons onto the side of a town hall they are sending a powerful message. That message is that if you try to censor what people can talk about and look at with acts of terror we will amplify their message and double down.


Toutes nos félicitations France, your award is well deserved.

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