We must not replace freedom with fear

Northern Ireland was once riven by violent extremism. Its reconciliation shows France, and the world, that attitudes can change

Jim Fitzpatrick
Jim Fitzpatrick

Appropriately, some of the best responses to the Charlie Hebdo attack have come from cartoonists. They know the power of the pen and, like their murdered colleagues in Paris, they haven’t been afraid to deploy it to maximum effect.

These shocking murders have reminded us of the price that is sometimes paid for that most fundamental right which we take for granted – free speech. And the collective response has reminded us of ...