With Martin Luther King Jr. Day often comes the discussion of civil rights movements and inequality in America. Many recent protests have no doubt been connected to the work of Dr. King.

“Je suis Charlie,” is a free speech movement resulting from the tragic shooting at the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo following its depiction of the Islamic Prophet, Muhammad.

It’s easy to say, “OK, free speech, sounds good” without looking deeper. Although the thought behind Je suis Charlie is a noble and necessary one, the people speaking up are not oppressed.

While it is unquestionable that the loss of life is a tragedy, it’s important to note that the people who are asking for support are largely white male cartoonists and journalists. The voice of French Muslims has largely been ignored. Muslims worldwide have been called upon to apologize for the actions of a radical terror group, to defend being a member of their religion.

France banned the burka in 2010, denying many Muslim women the right to express their religion and culture. Anti-Muslim sentiment is casually expressed by many media outlets, including the now infamous Charlie Hebdo.

The right of free speech is one ensured by the government. It cannot be controlled by a minority group. The actions of the French government in banning Muslim movies and arresting comedians for hate speech are more threatening to free speech than the Hebdo attacks.

“Je suis Charlie” is solidarity with voices, which are not being silenced. This movement has unintentionally silenced the oppressed in France. The work of MLK Jr. helped make black people in America heard. We should take care to do the same for all oppressed people today.