Manifesto of the Twelve: Together Against the New Totalitarianism

The manifesto "Together against the new totalitarianism" is a call to action against Islamism, originally published by Charlie Hebdo in 2006. The manifesto denounces Islamism as a form of religious totalitarianism that threatens democracy and is comparable to fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism.

Background

The publication of the manifesto was prompted by the controversy surrounding the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons, which were reprinted by Charlie Hebdo in 2006. The move was met with opposition from the French Muslim Council, which attempted to block the initiative but ultimately failed.

Signatories

The manifesto is signed by twelve prominent intellectuals and authors:

1. Ayaan Hirsi Ali
2. Chahla Chafiq-Beski (also known as Chahla Chafiq)
3. Caroline Fourest
4. Bernard-Henri Lévy
5. Irshad Manji
6. Maryam Namazie
7. Mehdi Mozaffari
8. Taslima Nasreen
9. Salman Rushdie
10. Antoine Sfeir
11. Philippe Val
12. Ibn Warraq

Content and Significance

The manifesto is a response to the physical and verbal violence that followed the publication of the Muhammad cartoons. It warns against the dangers of Islamism, which it considers to be a new form of totalitarianism. The signatories call for the defense of secularism and freedom in the face of what they see as an emerging threat.

Reception

The manifesto was widely reprinted in Western Europe and elsewhere in the world. However, it was also criticized by some who saw it as an attempt to "de-Islamize" the faith. The League of Human Rights denounced the petition that accompanied the manifesto, which was written by Pierre Cassen, Corinne Lepage, and Caroline Fourest.

Publication History

The manifesto was first published in Charlie Hebdo on March 1, 2006, under the title "Ensemble contre le nouveau totalitarisme". It was later reprinted in L'Express on February 2, 2006.