French Magazine Attacked with Molotov Cocktails

The offices of a French weekly magazine, Charlie Hebdo, were attacked with molotov cocktails around 1 a.m. after the latest edition came out. The magazine chose to put the Prophet Mohammad on the cover, with a speech bubble saying “100 lashes if you don’t die of laughter.” Charlie Hebdo explained it had Mohammad as a guest editor for that week, and the main article contemplated a life under Muslim sharia law. The weekly magazine is known for its satire, and frequently makes fun of different religions, as well as other controversial topics. No one was hurt in the attack on the offices because it took place so late at night; however, the office building is now unusable because of the fire damage. Many Muslims strongly oppose any image of Mohammad because Islam prohibits images of the Prophet, because he is not human and should not be portrayed as such.

There are about five million Muslims in France, and their views on the attack of Charlie Hebdo vary. While the majority agrees that the Prophet should not have been portrayed with an image, they agree that the attack was inappropriate. They note that freedom is important, but in this case, “the underlying sensitivity of the issue” should not be ignored. This is not the first time images of Mohammad have triggered violence; in 2005, Danish cartoons triggered civil unrest and fifty people died.

Marion Gibney

http://news.yahoo.com/french-satirical-magazine-offices-set-fire-080917522.html