FRANCE

TERRORIST
ATTACK
JANUARY 7, 2015

Twelve people were killed in a terror

attack Wednesday at the offices of
Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical
magazine that has published
controversial Muhammad cartoons.

What happened?

Four of the magazine's well-known cartoonists, including its editor, were among
those killed, as well as two police officers.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30710883

A major police operation is under way to find three gunmen who fled by car.

It is believed to be the deadliest attack in France since 1961, when right-wingers

who wanted to keep Algeria French bombed a train, killing 28 people.

The masked attackers opened fire with assault rifles in the office and exchanged
shots with police in the street outside before escaping by car. They later abandoned
the car in Rue de Meaux, northern Paris, where they hijacked a second car.

Witnesses said they heard the gunmen shouting "We have avenged the Prophet
Muhammad" and "God is Great" in Arabic ("Allahu Akbar").

This morning: http://

www.nbcnews.com/storyline/paris-magazine-attack/paris-cop-fatally-shot-france-m
ourns-charlie-hebdo-massacre-victims-n282031

Charlie Hebdo (French for Weekly Charlie)

is a French satirical weekly newspaper,
featuring cartoons, reports, polemics
(arguments, speeches, defenses) and
jokes. Irreverent and forcefully nonconformist in tone, the publication is
strongly anti-religious and left-wing,
publishing articles on the extreme right,
Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, politics,
culture, etc.
According to its former editor, Charb
(Stphane Charbonnier), the magazine's
editorial viewpoint reflects "all components
of left wing pluralism, and even abstainers
(avoiders)".

November 2011 attacks

In the early hours of 2 November 2011, the newspaper's office was fire-bombed and its
website hacked. The attacks were presumed linked to its decision to rename a special
edition "Charia Hebdo", with the Islamic Prophet Mohammed listed as the "editor-inchief". The cover, featuring a cartoon of Mohammed by Luz, had circulated on social
media for a couple of days.

Charb was quoted by AP stating that the attack might have been carried out by "stupid
people who don't know what Islam is" and that they are "idiots who betray their own
religion".

Mohammed Moussaoui, head of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, said his
organisation deplores "the very mocking tone of the paper toward Islam and its prophet
but reaffirms with force its total opposition to all acts and all forms of violence.

Franois Fillon, the prime minister, and Claude Guant, the interior minister, voiced
support for Charlie Hebdo, as did feminist writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who criticized calls for
self-censorship.

Fighting for Freedom of Speech

and Freedom from Censorship

Statement issued by Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of Index on

Censorship, following the murderous attack on the staff of the French
magazine Charlie Hebdo:

The ability to express ourselves freely is fundamental to a free

society. This includes the freedom to publish, to satirise, to joke, to
criticise, even when that might cause offence to others. Those who
wish to silence free speech must never be allowed to prevail.

Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of

Journalists, who described the attack as an attempt to assassinate the
free press. She added:

Supporters of free speech and civil liberties must stand together with
governments to condemn this act and defend the right of all journalists
to do their job without fear of threats, intimidation and brutal murder.

Why free speech?

Doubtless, there will be people who think the magazine was overly
provocative in publishing cartoons of Islams prophet Mohammed. If so,
they should think again.

Let them ponder this key clause in the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights:

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right
includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart
information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers

Press freedom and the freedom of speech allow for newspapers and
individual citizens to express views that are offensive.

Voltaire:

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to
say it.

Cherif Kouachi and his brother Said Kouachi are wanted in

connection with Wednesday's Charlie Hebdo attack, according to

French police
Judicial Police of Paris / AFP - Getty Images.