France remembers victims of Tuesday’s deadly attack charlie hebdo The satirical magazine that 10 years ago sparked a series of Islamist terrorist attacks on the country and sparked a debate over press freedom that continues to this day.
Two masked gunmen linked to al Qaeda with assault rifles stormed the offices of charlie hebdo And killed 12 people. The attackers sought to avenge Prophet Mohammed nearly a decade after he mocked the prophet in atheistic and often provocative cartoons published weekly.
The killings sparked national sympathy expressed in the slogan “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) and sparked a passionate debate about freedom of expression and religion in secular France.
“There were scenes I will never forget,” former French President François Hollande told Reuters. “We had to act and we did so responsibly, knowing that we were not finished and that other tragedies would happen. And there did.”
President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will lead the commemorations, which include wreath-laying ceremonies and a minute of silence at three locations in the capital.
Al Qaeda’s Yemen branch had charlie hebdoIn 2006, the magazine’s then-editor, Stéphane Charbonnier, was put on its “wanted list” after it published photographs of the Prophet Mohammed for the first time.
Two attackers born and raised in France attacked charlie hebdoThere was a shooting at the office on January 7, 2015. He killed eight members of the editorial team, including Charbonnier, and four others before being shot dead by police.
Over the next two days, another French-born man killed a policeman and four Jewish hostages in a kosher supermarket in a Paris suburb. He was also shot by the police.
More than 250 people have been killed in Islamist violence in France since then, highlighting the country’s struggle to counter the threat posed by terrorists.
freedom of expression
The anniversary has prompted fresh thinking about press freedom in France. Hollande expressed concern that self-censorship was increasing due to fear.
He said, “Should we publish pictures, feature certain images or compile reports when we know they could harm personalities or communities? There is a kind of self-censorship that has taken root.”
charlie hebdo A special edition was published to mark the anniversary, featuring “Indestructible!” The front of the word depicts a man sitting on the butt of a gun. On its cover.
“Today’s Values charlie hebdo Humor, satire, freedom of expression, ecology, secularism, feminism, to name a few – have never been more under threat,” it said in an editorial.
Charlie Hebdo’s taboo journalism divides France. For Muslims, any depiction of the Prophet Mohammed is blasphemy.
critics of charlie hebdo Accused him of crossing the line and dabbling in Islamophobia by repeatedly publishing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. The magazine denies this and says it lampoons all religions, including Christianity.
