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NY Times

Charlie Hebdo, the Paris Satirical Magazine that Was Attacked This Week, Was Proud of Its History of Political Provocation

Jan 8, 2015  •  Post A Comment

“Week after week, the small, struggling paper amused and horrified, taking pride in offending one and all and carrying on a venerable European tradition dating to the days of the French Revolution, when satire was used to pillory Marie Antoinette, and later to challenge politicians, the police, bankers and religions of all kinds,” write Doreen Carvajal and Suzanne Daley in The New York Times.

The story adds, “No subject was off limits. The paper offered pages of colorful cartoons depicting France’s top politicians and intellectuals as wine-swilling slackers indulging in sexual acts, or suggesting the pope was stepping aside to be with his girlfriend.”

The story tells about the paper’s editor , Stephane Charbonnier, who was killed in Wednesday’s attack, noting that he, “like the other Charlie Hebdo journalists, published under his pen name, Charb. His last published cartoon appeared in Wednesday’s issue, a haunting image of an armed and cross-eyed militant with the words, ‘Still no attacks in France,’ and the retort: ‘Wait! We have until the end of January to offer our wishes.’”

To read more about Charlie Hebdo, we urge you to click on the link, above, which will take you to the original New York Times article.

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