And I appreciate the time and thought you put into that. So, I'll address you as fully as the time I have at the moment allows.

In the posts I/we reference I deliberately separated the killers from the more "general" oppressed Muslims. The figure that I read this morning is that 99.6 percent of Muslims are NOT terrorists. So it's very interesting to me that when I say I stand with the oppressed, you and others take that to mean that I stand with the terrorists. It seems to say that you think there is no difference between "regular" folks and extremists. Or if you don't think that, then you think that I do. I don't. No one in here does. But I do believe it is fair to say that the fact that Muslims are an oppressed group in France, makes it easier for these things to occur. Extremists take advantage of the situation for their own ends. If muslims were not an oppressed group in the country there would in my opinion, be less "room" for these kinds of things to occur.

Do I think that they are fighting oppression? To my knowledge we do not know who these people were what their objectives were. I think that they MIGHT think they are and they might not, but that their actions have no benefit for the greater muslim community in France or abroad. Their actions benefit NO ONE. But as I have stated at length context is important. For example, South Park has been brought up in this thread. South Park can attack Christianity and while member of the group may be offended, they are not an oppressed minority groups, they are in fact the "empowered" in the US context. For that reason it is easier for them to "brush off" the offenses. It is not just another aggression amongst the myriad they are facing day to day. I feel for muslims in France who have to deal with Charlie as an additional slap in the face on top of all the other things they deal with day to day. Muslims in France suffer from political, economic, and social repression. Just as Blacks do in that country. Just like Blacks and Latinos do in this country. You can say otherwise but I know this to be true. The anti-hijab laws are evidence to this. Two very close friends of mine are French. Lived there throughout there adolescence. While I have yet to speak about this particular event in the 11 years that I have known them, this fact has come up, over and over and over again. You do for some reason seem to think that all muslims in France are recent immigrants who have strong ties to what you keep calling their "home," their country of origin. I also know that this is not necessarily the case. Yes there are recent immigrants but there are also millions of multi-generational muslims in france with very little connection to what's happening in their countries of origin. The fact that you keep saying the millions of people who make their home in France need to be looking back "home" gives a very xenophobic impression. France is their home.

To me, the fact that by saying I stand with the oppressed, is problematic for you seems to say that you think that the oppressed somehow deserve that. Or that it means I agree with any/every thing oppressed people do. That's silly. I do not stand with murdering cartoonists. But I stand against oppression ie with the oppressed. If you do not, then there is really no discussion to be had between us. Oppression in the west is largely the product of white supremacy. White supremacy is a product of capitalism. I am against both of those things as well. I understand western oppression via these forces. I understand it very well in fact.

I do not understand Arab oppression in the same way, but I understand it well enough. I can tell you that I do not ever stand with oppression. Oppression is systemic. It is bigger the interpersonal hate. So Muslims, the empowered in Iraq, killing Christians, is a problem to me. Israelis, the empowered in Israel, killing Palestinians is a problem to me. Hutus, the empowered in Rwanada, killing Tutsis is/was a problem to me. Whites, the empowered in the US, systemically oppressing non-whites in the US is a problem to me.

What periphery are you speaking of that I don't see?

Also, I have never stated that these cartoonists were "the" oppressors, but the do work within and represent a piece of the oppressive regime. Oppression is bigger than individuals. Do you honestly not see that?

I was rarely in my comments ever even addressing the murderers. There isn't a need to. We all agree that what they did was beyond fucked up. But as we've seen already in the mosque bombings, these things do not exist in any kind of vacuum. The plight of muslim people in France just got tougher. Their oppression just intensified. I stand with them.

I'm out of time.