What did Charlie Hebdopublished that was so provocative/inflammatory?
As Europe reels in horror at yet another senseless barbaricmurder in the name of radical Islam. The peaceful loving community seems tohave taken another slap on the face.
It is just unfortunate that of a religion with more than abillion adherents,across the world ,time and again their faith is sullied bythe extremist in their midst,who in the name of the faith goes around murderingin cold blood, antics getting eminence and worldwide publicity for all thewrong horrific reasons.
Whether these barbaric acts are commited by lunatics inconfined groups is a moot point. The most galling fact that it is commited inthe name of the religion, and that these groups portray to the world theextremes they are willing to go in the defence of their prophet and God.
Giving yet more fuel to the Islamophobes to go on theoffensive and lump all in a generalization that, Islam is a violent barbaricand dangerous religion that will nothestitate to commit murderous acts.
Sep 11, the Madrid ,London bombings and stabbing. Justrecently in Australia,siege in a Sydney café killing 3 ,and the horrific senselessmassacre of 145 Pakistani schoolchildren by the Talibans …juxtaposed on theISIS beheadings , Boko Haram kidnapping of schoolgirls , Talibans murder attempt of Malala Yousafzai.
All of these accounts chilling as they are outrageous and extreme but nonetheless done in the nameof the faith by the religious fanatical zealots,convinced that they do the bidding oftheir Almighty..
It is difficult to let a week pass by without some news ofsome horrific act commited in the name of the God of the Islamic faith fromaround the world.
Deeds commited bybarbaric uncivilized mindsets that probably make up just a very small ratio ofamong the billion or so practitioners of Islam.
But the damage to thepsyche of peace loving folk is done by aminority that will ripple across theglobe. And again , the world communityis up in arms ,heightening anti- Islam sentiments ,abhorring from the lack of understanding,a religion that on one extremechampions compassion and tolerance but the other extreme screams murder andvengeance for alleged affront to their Holy prophets and insulting their DivineBeing.
With the latter extremist fanatical factions getting more dominant inexposure and publicity.
And what did CharlieHebdo’s satirical magazine publishedthat justified the brutal cold blooded slaying of the 12 people including 2 policemenin Paris.
Among the 12 who were massacred on the horrific bloodbath on a Wednesdaynoon were some of the most respected but controversial satirical cartoonists in France .
Charlie Hebdo hasnotoriety of being a Paris-basedsatirical magazine that irreverently and often lampoon religious symbols of allfaiths.
Among the casualties was also the magazine editor Stephane"Charb" Charbonnier , who wasgunned down by the hooded attackers withassault rifles ,as they burst in to the magazine’soffice shouting "Allahuakbar," ,during an editorial meeting , as they opened fire, shooting everything in sight .
Cting witnesses ,Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins had toldreporters.” The attackers said they have avenged the prophet” in French.
The dead included among them the most popular names of the provocative staff whose satirical cartoons ofthe Prophet Mohammed in recent years infuriated many Muslims and made themagazine a targeted place for retribution by extremist.
Charbonnier, the editor ,was as controversial as themagazine he oversaw. Often inflaming controversy for the lampooning of avariety of subjects, including Christianity and Islam.
This Paris-based weekly satirical publication, founded in1970, achieved fame and notoriety forthe daring risqué cartoons and insinuationsof politicians, public figures and religious symbols of all faiths.
But it was the magazine’s acerbic depiction on Islam and the prophet that had generatedthe most vitriol and resentment .
Charlie Hebdo's mischievous satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in recent yearshave infuriated some Muslims and made ita target for retaliatory attack threats
A reputation forcontroversy and history of inciting fury of the Islamic extremist
A depiction of abearded and turbaned cartoon figure of the Prophet Mohammed with a speech bubblesaying, "100 lashes if you're not dying of laughter." The cartoon was interpreted as an attempt to make fun ofIslamic law.
That satirical piece was due to be released as the cover on the Nov 2011 issue .
But on the same day Charlie Hebdo’s office was fire bombedand burned down.
Back in September 2012, amidst the global Muslim furor over theanti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims," the publication issued a feature with a cartoon depiction of a naked Mohammed.
And for more spice, on the cover cartoon is what seems tolook like an orthodox Jew pushing Mohamed in a wheelchair.It stirred so much controversy and even dismayed French and American officials ,and as precautionary measure , France had closed embassies and schools in about20 countries temporarily.
Laurent Leger, ajournalist at Charlie Hebdo during that time , defended the magazine. Statingthat the cartoons were not intended to incite provocationof anger nor violence .
In an interview with BFM-TV in 2012.
Leger said " The aimis to laugh .To laugh at the extremists -- every extremist. Muslim, Jewish, Catholic. Everyone can bereligious, but thoughts and actions of the religious extremist, we cannot accept."
"In France, we always have the right to write and draw.And if some people are not happy with this, they can sue us and we can defendourselves. That's democracy," Leger said. "
You don't throw bombs, you discuss, you debate. But youdon't act violently. We have to stand and resist pressure from extremism."
Charlie Hebdo's last tweet before the deadly attack on Wednesday's,featured a cartoon of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi seemingly sending outhis wishes for the new year with the words "And, above all, health."
Charlie Hebdo is not the only only publication who ignited controversy in their depiction of Mohammed .
Norwegian and Danish newspapers ,when they published Mohamad cartoons had also sparked furious demonstrations around the world in2005.
There have been cartoonists who were were attacked in thefallout of that controversy. Deaththreats were made to Sweden's Lars Vilks after he had drawn Mohammed with thebody of a dog.
Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard's house had an attempted break in , not long after he drew a turban shaped like a bomb worn by Mohamad.
Charbonnier told BFMTV in 2012."We do provocation; we'vebeen doing provocation for 20 years , but it's being noticed only when wetalked about Islam or this part of Islam which raises problems and which is aminority,"
On the fanatical religious extremist “One has to mock them usinghumor, disarm them with humor and not give them any credit.
By taking themseriously and sending regiments of riot cops to hold them, one takes themseriously."
And they continued their tradition of irreverently cartooning about kings and Napoleon and everything.
They followed that tradition to an extreme."
Latest breaking news
PARIS — The police have organized an enormous manhunt acrossParis for three suspects they said were involved in a brazen andmethodical slaughter at a satirical newspaper that had lampooned Islam.
Officials said late Wednesday that the suspects hadbeen identified .
French news media have identified2 as brothers , Said and Cherif Kouachi, 32 and 34, and another known as Hamyd Mourad, 18.
Thereports said the brothers had been born in Paris, raising the alarming prospect thathomegrown Muslim extremists may have been responsible for the slaughter of 12 victims at Charlie Hebdo's office
