Consequently , it is too simplistic to explain the war against ISIS in terms of familiar dichotomies — Islam/the West , tradition/modernity , theocracy/democracy , repression/freedom . Nor is it appropriate to explain the Islmaist militant attacks on the French satirical magazine , Charlie Hebdo , ( 2015 ) as an over-assertion of western freedom of speech rights , which showed little respect for Islam and western Muslims . While progressive journalists at the New York Times believed that western states need to reconcile speech freedom with respect for pluralism , Lewis ( 2015b ) argues that speech freedom actually does n't exist in the west . Speech and other freedoms are not equally distributed in western states , but are subject to the violent hierarchies around which these states are organised . Until we have equality of speech , Lewis contends , there can never be ' freedom of speech ' or anything else
Islmaist militant attacks
Charlie Hebdo shooting
Jeff Lewis (professor)