Four of the most well-known cartoonists in France dead in Charlie Hebdo Paris shooting (huffingtonpost.co.uk).
“At least 12 people are dead after shots were fired at the headquarters of the magazine, with multiple attackers escaping. Two police officers are believed to be among the dead, with 10 journalists killed. One of the dead is said to be editor Stephane Charbonnier, known as Charb, was the magazine’s top cartoonist and was placed on the ‘Al Qaeda kill list’, published last year in its magazine Inspire. […] Three other cartoonists from the magazine are also said to be dead. One of them is Jean Cabut, known as Cabu who drew the cover of the Charlie Hebdo magazine that riffed on the Danish Mohammed cartoons, as well as Verlhac Bernard, better known by the pseudonym Tignous, and Georges Wolinski, whose work had also appeared in Libération and Paris Match.”
I guess that be the much diminished al Qaeda trying to get some of their limelight back from ISIS/ISIL/Caliphate of the ’tashless Beard.
Of course, no group has officially claimed responsibility but the two gunmen claimed they were avenging the prophet for the Yemen Faction of al Qaeda, possibly al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (A.Q.A.P.), but lets just use the unofficial but more widely used acronym C.O.C.K.S. instead.
(Updated 9th January) Al-Qaeda in Yemen claims it ordered attack in line with Osama bin Laden’s “warnings” before his death (independent.co.uk).
And as they have not managed to find a new figurehead with the RolexIslamic watch-wearing gravitas of ISIS’ Abu Bakr al-BigdadiBaghdadi they had to resurrect his wanning shining star.
“There was an unusually long delay in the claim following the Charlie Hebdo attack on Wednesday, which the spokesman said was for ‘security reasons.’”
Or perhaps they just wanted to see how things went first, after all, it was rather embarrassing last time when they attacked the wrong ship (huffingtonpost.com, Sept. 2014).
(The Pope goes too far!)
For sure, but he didn’t order anyone shot.
Charlie Hebdo: A profile of the French satirical magazine (independent.co.uk).
“Charlie Hebdo is a left-leaning French weekly satirical magazine known for its provocative tone and anti-religious stance, and features cartoons, reports, polemics and jokes. The cartoon-led secular magazine mocks religious faiths of all kinds, defends women’s rights, and satirises public figures, from politicians to judges, bankers, and religious founders.”
Updated 23rd March 2015.
Charlie Hebdo staff split over money two months after attack (telegraph.co.uk).
“ Until the attacks, Charlie Hebdo was teetering on the verge of bankruptcy and was selling only around 30,000 copies a week. But a ‘survivors’ issue’ published a week after the attacks flew off the shelves and ended up selling seven million copies.”
Which I’m sure will have many howling of Zionist conspiracies to increase sales.
Updated 23rd January 2015.
“To be fair, some of the vendors, most of whom are based in Europe, are tacking on a charitable cause to their moneymaking schemes (even if they’re still planning on pocketing most of what they make).”
Updated 21st January 2015.
Paris mayor: I’m suing Fox News over false report on Muslim “no-go” zones (theguardian.com).
“Paris is not the only European city to be maligned in this way. Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana and a possible contender for the 2016 presidential election, told a group of British MPs that similar ‘no-go zones’—where Sharia law trumps British law—have appeared across the UK.”
This of course is where Fox News terorism “expert” Steve “I could’ve been a SEAL sniper too and had a film made about me too” Emerson also claimed Britain’s second-city Birmingham is a non-Muslim no-go city before having to admit he’d “picked the facts out of his arse” “relied on other sources”.
But it was actually our own opportunistic beer-swilling “common man” scaremonger, UKIP’s Nigel “you can’t come in unless you can sing the Dads Army theme tune” Farage who claimed on Fox News that “there are now ‘no-go zones’ in most big French cities which non-Muslims cannot enter” (telegraph.co.uk), but he’s a slippery ol’ kipper to sue I guess.
Updated 16th January 2015.
You can read Charlie Hebdo issue 1178 the “survivors issue” online here (issuu.com).
Updated 15th January 2015
Charlie Hebdo print run raised to 5m as copies in France sell out (theguardian.com).
“Some outlets reported that hundreds of copies of the magazine were sold in the first few minutes of going on sale by customers eager to show support for free speech following the attack.”
Although, for sure, it’s also been reported a few have been put on eBay for spectacular prices.
Updated 14th January 2015
Charlie Hebdo founder says slain editor “dragged” team to their deaths by “overdoing” provocative cartoons (telegraph.co.uk).
“One of the founding members of Charlie Hebdo has accused its slain editor, Stéphane Charbonnier, or Charb, of ‘dragging the team’ to their deaths by releasing increasingly provocative cartoons, as five million copies of the ‘survivors’ edition’ went on sale. Henri Roussel, 80, who contributed to the first issue of the satirical weekly in 1970, wrote to the murdered editor, saying: ‘I really hold it against you’ [calling] Charb an ‘amazing lad’, [but] also a stubborn ‘block head’.”
The “R” issue with C.B. has already been discussed and as how it has gone after all walks of religious, judicial, political and social intolerance with often distasteful relish. The facts remains that, like all tabloids, it will go after whatever is the more prevalent as it is what they do and ISIS/ISIL, al-Qaeda et al. have suceeded in smearing the image of Islam in the public eye for many and present them self as a prevailing satirical subject.
Updated 13th January 2015
(All is Forgiven)
“French newspaper Libération published the Charlie Hebdo cover online late Monday night, ahead of the satirical magazine’s sale on Wednesday. The cartoon shows a bearded man in a white turban, ostensibly the Prophet, with a tear streaming down his cheek, and holding a sign reading ‘Je suis Charlie’. Overhead is the phrase: ‘Tout est Pardonne’—‘All is Forgiven’.”
Security services on high alert for beheading attack in Britain in wake of Paris killings (independent.co.uk).
“It is feared that extremists want to copy Isis’ killing of James Foley, David Haines, Alan Henning and other hostages last year by abducting a target and posting footage of their death on the internet, The Times reported.”
Updated 12th January 2015
New Charlie Hebdo to show Mohammed cartoons (news.sky.com).
“The ‘survivor’s issue’ depicts the Prophet crying, as the magazine’s lawyer says staff will ‘cede nothing’ to extremists.”
For sure, why shouldn’t he cry for what is being done in his name.
After accusations of appeasing Muslim fanatics by the artist behind one of those infamous cartoons of Mohammed (dailymail.co.uk) the BBC has also scrapped its ban on depicting Prophet Mohammed as being “out of date” (telegraph.co.uk).
“The corporation has now clarified its stance, insisting that the guidelines were already considered out of date and are in the process of being revised. Copies of the original guidance including a blanket ban on depictions of Mohammed have been removed from the BBC’s website.”
So, why does Islam forbid images of its prophet, and was it always so? (Jul. 2011).
“Islam’s prohibition of pictures of Mohammed stems from its opposition to idolatrous images. This extends to all figurative art … yet art in some Islamic cultures, notably Persian, has depicted human beings, Mohammed included. Pictures of Mohammed figure in manuscripts from Persia [Shia Islam] under Mongol rule in the 13th and 14th centuries. Examples survive in libraries in London, Edinburgh and Paris.”
So you see, under strict interpretations of Sunni Islam it’s not just Mohammed, even the figurative snowman is no-go: Saudi cleric condemns snowmen as anti-Islamic (msn.com).
“Quoting from Muslim scholars, Sheikh Munajjid argued that to build a snowman was to create an image of a human being, an action considered sinful under the kingdom’s strict interpretation of Sunni Islam.”
Updated 12th January 2015
Fox News terrorism “expert” Steve Emerson claimed Britain’s second-city Birmingham is “totally Muslim” and ”non-Muslims just simply don’t go in” (dailymail.co.uk).
“Steve Emerson made the bizarre comments on Fox News in the US—also claiming there were religious police squads roaming the streets of London who ‘seriously wound’ people in non-Muslim dress.”
French police commissioner “kills himself after meeting with victim’s family” (independent.co.uk).
“French police commissioner [Helric Fredou] has reportedly killed himself after meeting relatives of a victim murdered in the Charlie Hebdo massacre. Colleagues told France 3 he was single and had no children, describing him as ‘depressed’ and overworked.”
So sad. #HelricFredou (Twitter).
Updated 11th January 2015
Thousands Around World Show Unity With Paris (news.sky.com).
“More than a thousand people gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square on Sunday to honour the victims of Islamist attacks in Paris, with many raising pencils to the sky.”
In pics: Hundreds of thousands rally for Paris victims (msn.com).
Hundreds of thousands seemingly an underestimation, now quoted at around 1.5 to 2 3.7 million.
Alas, that is also likely to lead to a revival of the reviled “snooper’s charter”: Paris attacks: David Cameron to discuss greater spying powers with UK security chiefs as calls to revive “snooper’s charter” grow (independent.co.uk).
“The Prime Minister said there were ‘things to learn’ from the wave of violence that saw 17 killed across northern France from Wednesday to Friday—and he has faced pressure to revive the so-called ‘snooper’s charter’ that would make it easier for GCHQ to monitor online communications.”
Indeed, after much “frit” it seems he has finally found something to hinge his election bid on at last: David Cameron pledges new “snoopers’ charter” if he wins election (independent.co.uk).
“That is my very clear view and if I am Prime Minister after the next election I will make sure we legislate accordingly. Obviously we are in a Coalition.”
And quite obviously the Lib Dems, the junior partner in that coalition, has been cock-blocking it ever since. Seemingly staking his election bid on it though perhaps he does not recall that the previous gov’ment’s plan to introduce the Identity Cards Act 2006 (Wikipedia), which the Tory/Lib Dem coalition monkey and organ grinder repealed on election, was a huge £584M+ carbuncle that cost Labour that election.
(Updated 12th January) And walking perilously close to the Rupe Murdock/Nigel Farage territory he earlier condemned: David Cameron: Muslims must do more to tackle terrorism in wake of Paris shootings (telegraph.co.uk).
“The Prime Minister agrees with Sajid Javid, the Culture Secretary, that the Muslim community has a ‘special burden’ and that it is ‘lazy and wrong’ to say that the Paris attacks have nothing to do with Islam. ”
Or perhaps just ‘lazy and wrong’ to allow formally marginalised discredited Imams and fake Sheikhs to be radicalising more often than not recent disenfranchised European-born converts looking for a cause, any cause, to join.
Recent/related stories
- Britain’s spy chief says Facebook and Twitter have become “the command and control networks of choice” for terrorists (Pick of the Week 13th November 2014)
“France will shout its love for liberty and tolerance. Come in numbers” (theguardian.com).
“Up to a million people—including dozens of world leaders—will converge on Paris on Sunday in a show of defiance and unity after terrorist attacks that left 17 people dead last week in the French capital. In what will be one of the most significant and emotional public gatherings in postwar French history, President François Hollande will be joined by David Cameron, Angela Merkel and the Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, in an unprecedented solidarity march through the centre of the city. The French prime minister, Manuel Valls, said Sunday’s demonstration would be ‘a cry for freedom’ and a reassertion of ‘the values of 1789 … It will be an unusual demonstration that will no doubt go down in history. It will show the strength and dignity of the French people, who will shout their love for liberty and tolerance. Come in numbers.’”
And if you can’t be there, tweet, gram, Facebook or blog about it, or be old fashioned and just talk about it in whatever way you do, to be with them there in spirit.
Muslim shop worker saved Jewish customers (msn.com).
“Lassana Bathily was out of the gunman’s view when he stormed the Hypercacher store in eastern Paris with guns blazing. A number of shoppers fled down stairs at the back of the shop, where they ran into the 24-year-old assistant, who thought the group could hide in a cold storage room in the basement. ‘I turned off the light and the freezer. I told them to keep calm, to not make any noise.’ Explaining why he acted as he did, Mr Bathily said: ‘We are all brothers. It’s not a question of Jews, Christians or Muslims.’”
(Updated 15th January) Paris kosher supermarket hero Lassan Bathily to receive French citizenship after saving hostages from gunman Amedy Coulibaly (independent.co.uk).
“The Malian national who was hailed as a hero for helping hostages to safety during the kosher supermarket siege in Paris is to be given French citizenship, French media have reported.”
Updated 10th January 2015
Rupert Murdoch: “Muslims must be held responsible for France terror attacks” (news.sky.com).
“Rupert Murdoch has been strongly criticised after tweeting that ‘most Moslems’—even if peaceful—must be held responsible for the religion’s ‘growing jihadist cancer’ in the wake of the terror attacks in France.”
Blimey! Our local Muslim shopkeeper at the Happy Shopper is gonna have a helluva busy day if he’s gotta clean house for his religion as well as his store room.
“Kill them all and let God sort them out.”—Rupert MurdochArnaud Amalric, Cistercian abbot, Albigensian Crusade (Wikipedia).
Paris Attacks: Policeman’s family “devastated” (news.sky.com).
“French, of Algerian origin, Muslim of faith, I am very proud of Ahmed Merabet; that he represented the French police and defended the republic. … You mustn’t mix up extremism with Muslims. The mad men have no colour nor religion.”
#JesuisAhmed (Twitter).
“The 87-year-old cartoonist behind the famous French comic ‘Asterix’ has come out of retirement to pay tribute to those killed during the attacks on Charlie Hebdo offices earlier this week. Albert Uderzo published two images in France, and shared both with the official ‘Asterix’ Twitter account, expressing to fans: ‘Moi aussi je suis un Charlie’ (I too am Charlie).”
“This is my profession under attack. It’s people I admire and people I care about who… I didn’t care about what they do and care about what happened to them. It’s awful, so I’m obliged to sort of lend some sort of support to try and make sense of it.”
The one that got away: Hunt for armed and dangerous terrorist’s wife as more attacks feared (huffingtonpost.co.uk).
“French authorities are still searching for 26-year-old Hayat Boumeddiene, the girlfriend and suspected accomplice of Amedy Coulibaly, who held 19 people hostage inside a Kosher supermarket in Eastern Paris yesterday, before dying in a hail of bullets.”
She is thought to be involved with Coulibaly in the murder of a female police officer south of Paris on Thursday morning. Along with that crossbow, she may hold the key to the ongoing terror investigation, as police admit they may be dealing with a larger extremist cell and authorities brace for more attacks.
Update 11th January: Boumeddiene entered Turkey Jan 2, may now be in Syria (msn.com).
“Hayat Boumeddiene, the wanted partner of one of the gunmen shot dead by police after three days of high drama in France, arrived in Turkey before the killings and may now be in Syria, a Turkish security source told AFP Saturday.”
Updated 9th January 2015
Updated 10th February 2015
Anonymous claims victory over jihadi Twitter accounts in #OpCharlieHebdo #OpIsis(theguardian.com).
“In the video put up by the group to report its success, a masked speaker, talking in the computer-generated speech Anonymous uses, says: ‘The terrorists that are calling themselves Islamic State (Isis) are not Muslims. Isis, we will hunt you, take down your sites, accounts, emails and expose you. From now on no safe place for you online. You will be treated like a virus and we are the cure. We own the internet.’”
Well, someone has too and as long as it isn’t Google or the NSA those protecting freedom of speech and free internet are cock-a-hacker-hoop with that, but…
“During that time it tweeted out what pertained to be official US documents—though most seemed to be either fake or readily available information. That is in line with the group’s operations during other cyberattacks.”
Likely meaning they did it for the sake of their own attention rather than ISIS’ in an attempt to “own the internet” too.
And that’s that. Charlie Hebdo hunt: Police storm two hostage sites (bbc.co.uk).
“French police have stormed two hostage sites in Paris and north of the city, with the hostage takers reported dead.”
But sadly, hostages killed as supermarket siege ends (news.sky.com).
“At least four hostages have been killed at the end of siege at a Paris supermarket involving two jihadist gunman—one of whom is believed to have escaped. Commandos launched an assault at the supermarket 20 minutes after explosions at a second siege on the outskirts of Paris.”
Should the media publish satirical religious cartoons?
(video, news.sky.com).
Crikey! Could Asghar Bukhari (Wikipedia), founding member of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK have done any more harm to the image of Islam if he’d hacked at it with Abu Hamza al-Masri hook hand? For sure, he wanted to go toe to toe with with Douglas Murray (henryjacksonsociety.org), representing a think tank studying extremism and terrorism in the UK there.
Updated 8th January 2015
Wake-Up Walmington! Farage cannot divide us: Fury at “sickening” attempt by Ukip to use Paris shootings to score political points on multiculturalism (dailymail.co.uk).
“Ukip leader used interviews to attack a “fifth column” living in Britain.”
Fifth columnists. For sure, it’s okay though, old Mr. Jones has Nigel’s back (GoogleTube). “Don’t panic, don’t panic, Mr. Mainwaring!”
Charlie Hebdo: Daughter’s Instagram post a reminder of the people behind the pencil (theage.com.au).
“‘Papa est parti pas Wolinski,’ read the post, which translates to ‘Papa has left (is gone), not Wolinski.’ The words from Elsa Wolinski were accompanied by an image of what is thought to be Georges Wolinski’s study, his drawing board on his desk with a pencil on a white page. Wolinski, 80, was well-known for his tongue-in-cheek spoofs on romance and sexuality, though never refrained from making cynical observations on politics and society.”
Worth 1,000 words: Cartoonists draw for slain colleagues (msn.com).
“Defiant, angry, poignant, irreverent and sobering, their drawings united cartoonists in grief, tried to make sense of the nonsensical, and sent a shared message: We must not, will not and should not be silenced. Some drawings touched such a nerve they made one want to both laugh and cry. … One of the most powerful drawings had no drawing. Christian Adams’ cartoon for The Daily Telegraph in London showed a completely blank space with the heading: ‘Extremist approved cartoon.’”
Of course, Charlie didn’t cause the world to cry #BringBackOurGirls or form a mini-caliphate in someone else’s backyard.
But what about the “R” word; isn’t Charlie Hebdo racist?
Hey, Media, instead of lionizing Charlie Hebdo, support the artists you’re exploiting” (talkingpointsmemo.com).
“The recent attack on Charlie Hebdo, a weekly satirical French newspaper featuring acerbic cartoons and comics, is shocking … but the media’s response has been troubling. Coverage lionizes Charlie Hebdo as an institution, while also taking advantage of the cartooning community.”
I see, so it wasn’t the media that picked up on the rapidfire trending on Twitter, rather the media took all in the cartooning community aside and had a quiet, exploitative word first. But if C.H. is indeed racist, and those supportive in the cartooning community are being exploited to lionise C.H., is it possible to do one without the other? Or, even if it is racist, sexist, ridiculing of the Pope, or even France’s definitely racist far-right as it is known to often do with, indeed, nothing being sacred for Charlie, is it not utter stupidity to suggest Charlie Hebdo isn’t sacred either with regards such a disproportionate response inflicted on those whose only weapon they drew was a pen.
“I am not Charlie, I am Ahmed the dead cop. Charlie ridiculed my faith and culture and I died defending his right to do so. #JesuisAhmed” (dailymail.co.uk).
.:: Update ::.
Charlie Hebdo attack: Thousands join vigils in Paris, London and around the world (independent.co.uk).
“Journalists held up their press cards as members of the public silently raised pens in the air in a poignant symbol against what is being seen as an attack on freedom of speech. The phrase ‘je suis Charlie’ (‘I am Charlie’) has become a rallying call for people expressing solidarity with the victims around the world, with many Paris protesters wearing the slogan on stickers and painting it on giant placards.”
#JeSuisCharlie (Twitter).
Charlie Hebdo attack victims: Tributes paid to 10 journalists killed by gunmen in Paris (independent.co.uk).
“Tributes are flooding in for the extremists’ 12 victims, whose names have not all been officially confirmed. Here are profiles of those named so far.”
Stéphane Charbonnier
Known as “Charb”, the 47-year-old was reportedly the main target of the attack as the newspaper’s editor and chief cartoonist. Two of his best-known recurring characters were Maurice and Patapon, an anti-capitalist cat and dog that featured in irreverent cartoons.
Jean Cabut
“Cabu”, 76, was a veteran of several French newspapers and reportedly the highest paid cartoonist in the world. Cabu is particularly famed for his character Mon Beauf, whose caricature was so popular that the name slipped into popular use to describe a racist, sexist or vulgar Frenchman.
Georges Wolinski
Mr Wolinski, 80, started contributing to Cabu’s Hara-Kiri magazine in 1960 with political and saucy cartoons and comic strips.
Bernard Verlhac
Known as Tignous, the 58-year-old’s drawings had appeared in Charlie Hebdo, of Marianne and Fluide glacial.
Bernard Maris
Magazine columnist and economist.
Mustapha Ourrad
Proof-reader.
Isa Cayat
Psychoanalyst and columnist. The only woman killed in the shooting.
Michel Renaud
Arts festival founder.
Frederic Boisseau
Caretaker.
Recent/related stories
- Ali Ferzat, cartoonist in exile (Pick of the Week 27th August 2013)
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