What Is Charlie Hebdo? And Why Was It Attacked?
Charlie Hebdo a satirical French weekly the name roughly translates to Charlie Weekly is non-conformist and left wing in nature Since its inception in 1970 Charlie Hebdo has published jokes cartoons and reports on Catholicism Islam Judaism politics culture etc. In one of the most brutal attacks in France 12 of Charlie Hebdo members were gunned down during a weekly editorial meeting by an Islamic terrorist group. The threats on the weekly had incr...Read More
Charlie Hebdo, a satirical French weekly (the name roughly translates to Charlie Weekly) is non-conformist and left wing in nature. Since its inception in 1970, Charlie Hebdo has published jokes, cartoons and reports on Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, politics, culture, etc. The name Charlie Hebdo was derived partially as an inside joke on Charles De Gaulle, the French ruler who still influences French politics. The name is also based on Charlie Brown, the lead character of the famous comic strip, Peanuts.
#JESUISCHARLIE pic.twitter.com/pM5DYxHfcA
¡ª LiLi Perrier (@LiLi73Allways) January 8, 2015
Charlie Hebdo was not new to threats and protests as their writings 'threatened' fanatical groups and religious organisations. However, in one of the most brutal attacks in France, 12 of Charlie Hebdo members were gunned down during a weekly editorial meeting by an Islamic terrorist group. The threats on the weekly had increased in frequency since they openly declared Prophet Muhammed as their editor-in-chief. Charb (St¨¦phane Charbonnier), the editor of the magazine till he was gunned down in the attacks, was already on the most wanted list of Al-Qaeda organisations for his anti-Islamic writings.
While the world has questioned the freedom of speech and the right to expression post these brutal attacks, there's a wave of 'Je Suis Charlie' (I am Charlie) that's doing rounds of not only France but the world. Many of Charb's quotes have gone viral on social media with prominent cartoonists taking up the pen to voice their feelings on the attacks through comics.
Here are a few tweets and comics that perfectly define the attacks...
1. Pen is mightier than the sword.
2. Which do you think is a greater weapon of mass destruction?
Very powerful images coming out this morning , none more so than this by @RealBanksy #JeSuisCharlie pic.twitter.com/Pj4Rnup7pr
¡ª Mark Elliott (@MarkElliott52) January 8, 2015
3. The world unites...
Freedom of press shall prevail #JeSuisCharlie #???????? pic.twitter.com/Dfwtwk03e6
¡ª Larissa Aoun (@LarissaAounSky) January 8, 2015
4. Break one, 10 will rise.
Banksy's take on Charlie Hebdo is simple, elegant & uncompromising #JeSuisCharlie pic.twitter.com/FoQeqSd548
¡ª David McInnes (@profdmcinnes) January 8, 2015
5. This sums it up.
You may not agree with what people say, print, or do...but there's no reason for this #JeSuisCharlie pic.twitter.com/LUwcGwIGIe
¡ª Matthew Wilder (@coachwilder) January 8, 2015
6. Enjoy.
New Yorker
7. Just saying.
#CharlieHebdo pic.twitter.com/15O4YC2KWg
¡ª Ruben L. Oppenheimer (@RLOppenheimer) January 7, 2015
8. War between equals?
Can't sleep tonight, thoughts with my French cartooning colleagues, their families and loved ones #CharlieHebdo pic.twitter.com/LqIMRCHPgK
¡ª David Pope (@davpope) January 7, 2015
9. Which do you think the world fears more?
#CharlieHebdo pic.twitter.com/du7R4NW1zO
¡ª Ruben L. Oppenheimer (@RLOppenheimer) January 7, 2015
10. We're speechless.
Tuez un dessinateur, vous en cr¨¦erez deux. #CharlieHebdo #JeSuisCharlie pic.twitter.com/tqrTQKl74E
¡ª Max ?? Haes (@MaximeHaes) January 7, 2015
Here are a few quotes by Charbs which define freedom, the right to express and freedom of speech.
¡°I have no kids, no wife, no car, no credit. What I¡¯m going to say may be a bit pompous, but I¡¯d rather die standing than live on my knees.¡± - Charb
¡°If we worried about the consequences of each of our drawings in each of our 1,057 issues, then we would have had to close shop a long time ago.¡± - Charb
¡°I don¡¯t feel as though I¡¯m killing someone with a pen. I¡¯m not putting lives at risk. When activists need a pretext to justify their violence, they always find it.¡± - Charb
¡°So let¡¯s talk about Islam the way we talk about everything else.¡± - Charb
¡°Our job isn¡¯t to defend freedom of speech, but without freedom of speech we are dead. We can¡¯t live in a country without freedom of speech. I prefer to die than live like a rat.¡± - Charb
And perhaps the most poignant:
¡°A drawing has never killed anyone.¡± - Charb
An adventure lover and philosopher, her affair with words began at a young age. You can find her scribbling away at all odd hours of the day (and night) and if not with her head buried deep inside a book, she is generally romancing nature or ambling along through the maze of Indian streets. A carefree soul, she truly believes happiness lies within.
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