The cause of the two events was the same: anger ignited by the prophet's caricature.

For Muslims, the figure of the prophet must not be portrayed graphically, let alone articulated with a scent of mockery. However, under the pretext of freedom of expression, the media in several European countries have published cartoons of the prophet, such as the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, in 2005 and the French magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2006 and 2015.

Europe is actually a place where nonviolent civilization has flourished since the traumatic World War II. So why has Europe seen a cycle of violence since the publication of the prophet's caricature in Denmark in 2005?

It looks like there is a paradox between European idealism and its socio-political reality. The acts of violence can be examined from at least three perspectives.

First, from the perspective of European Union ideology. In the articulation of its foreign policy, this regional entity projects European values and ethics throughout the world. As stated in the preamble to the Lisbon Treaty 2009, there are five values (commonly referred to as European ideologies) being promoted: freedom, democracy, equality, humanity and the rule of law.

These values have become the European Union's mantra for domestic and foreign politics. Freedom of expression justifies the publication of the prophet's caricature. However, freedom also contains the element of responsibility if it is seen in a socio-political context, doesn’t it?

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