Exactly 10 years after the jihadist gun attack that killed most of its editorial staff, France’s Charlie Hebdo has published a special issue to show its cause is still kicking. The attack on January 7, 2015, marked the end of all wilful naivety about the threat of militant Islamism.
Twelve people were killed in the attack, including a Muslim policeman. Two days later, two brothers who carried out the attack were cornered and shot dead by police. Amedy Coulibaly also attacked four Jews at a supermarket in eastern Paris that same day.
A decade on, Charlie Hebdo continues to publish a weekly edition with around 50,000 circulation, despite operating from a secret location with bodyguards. The paper’s main shareholder, cartoonist Laurent Saurisseau, said its spirit of anti-religious irreverence was still alive.
“Satire has one virtue that has got us through these tragic years – optimism,” he wrote. “Laughter, irony and caricature are all manifestations of optimism.”
The special issue includes winning entries in a cartoon competition on the theme of “Laughing at God.” One entry features an image questioning whether it’s okay to draw a picture of a man drawing a picture of a man drawing a picture of Muhammad.
Charlie Hebdo has been at the center of controversy over its depiction of Islam, with some accusing the paper of being anti-Islam and others arguing that it was a victim of political correctness. The debate surrounding Charlie Hebdo’s impact on free speech continues to this day.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8ew0lzggr7o