Paris terror attacks: Derek Fox slammed for 'disgusting' Facebook post

Derek Fox said the editor of Charlie Hedbo had the price of his assumption of cultural superiority and arrogance. Photo / Supplied

Former broadcaster and Maori Party candidate Derek Fox has been criticised after blaming the victims of the Paris terror attack.

Fox said on Facebook said the editor of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo had "paid the price" for his "bigotry" and "arrogance".

Three gunmen shouting "Allahu akbar!" killed eight journalists and a visitor at the magazine's Paris office and two police officers as they fled the scene.

Fox wrote that Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier was a "bully" who had abused free speech and was now responsible for the deaths of his colleagues.

"The editor of the French magazine has paid the price for his assumption of cultural superiority and arrogance, he was the bully believing he could insult other peoples culture and with impunity and he believed he would be protected in his racism and bigotry by the French state.

"Well he was wrong, unfortunately in paying the price for his arrogance he took another 11 people with him."

He continued: "Power cultures all like to use the old chestnut of freedom of speech when they choose to ridicule people who aren't exactly like them, and mostly they get away with it."

Fox said in this Facebook post that the privilege of free speech brought with it responsibility and ramifications. "These guys liked the privilege but didn't think they'd be caught up in the ramifications - they were wrong.

"This should serve as a lesson to other people who believe they can use the power they wield by way of dominating the media to abuse and ridicule others they believe to inferior to them - just like [in] this country."
Mr Fox's Facebook post attracted strong criticism.

National Party list MP Chris Bishop said it was a "horrific, ridiculous, shameful comment", adding that supporting freedom of speech was a human right, not "cultural supremacy".

On social media condemnation of Fox was fierce.

One person taking part in Facebook debate said: "Derek, to suggest that the staffs of that paper effectively asked to be murdered for their views is pretty idiotic. You were once a broadcaster, of sorts. I'm sure you had opinions that ran counter to other people and likely caused offense. Do you think those offended people would have been justified in murdering you and the people you worked with?"

Another person tweeted:

Fox has stood by his comments, and said that if the magazine had not published gratuitous insults, the victims "would still be alive now".

"But they didn't, in fact they ramped it up to sell more mags. Well they got bitten severely on the bum."

Fox was previously a prominent Maori journalist and the Maori Television chairman. He stood for the Maori Party in 2008 in Ikaroa-Rawhiti.