Charlie Hebdo launches 'laugh at God' competition on 10th anniversary of terror attack that left 12 people dead
'Yes, we can laugh about God, especially if he exists,' read the headline
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French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo has launched a “laugh at God” competition on the 10th anniversary of the Islamist terror attack that left 12 people dead.
The attack in 2015 was carried out by two Paris-born brothers of Algerian descent as revenge for the magazine’s move to publish caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.
The special edition, launched on Tuesday, featured a contest in which cartoonists submitted their “funniest and meanest” depictions of God and religious figures to show they had not lost their provocative defiance.
The anniversary magazine went on sale during public commemorations by President Emmanuel Macron, predecessor François Hollande, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took place outside its former offices.
The special edition, launched on Tuesday, featured a contest in which cartoonists submitted their “funniest and meanest” depictions of God
Reuters
The paper now operates from a secret location, and its team lives under constant police protection because of ongoing threats.
The paper showcased 40 caricatures of over 350 entries, with a headline reading: “Yes, we can laugh about God, especially if he exists.”
One image showed a cartoonist sketching another cartoonist who was drawing a cartoonist working on a bearded figure that looks like the Prophet Mohammed - whom many Muslims believe should never be depicted.
The caption said: “If I sketch someone who is drawing someone who is drawing someone who is drawing Mohammed, is that OK?”
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Another cartoon showed the leaders of Christianity, Judaism and Islam as a three headed dog.
A third depicted God sitting on a therapist’s couch saying: “I don’t believe in myself anymore.”
An editorial from the newspaper’s director Riss stated: “Satire has a virtue that has enabled us to get through these tragic years: optimism.”
Riss, who survived the 2015 attack that killed eight of his editorial colleagues added: “If you want to laugh, it means you want to live. Laughing, irony, and caricatures are manifestations of optimism. Whatever happens, dramatic or happy, the desire to laugh will never cease.”
Speaking on Monday, President Macron said: “Terrorism is a risk that remains significant in our society and that requires no let-up and collective vigilance”
Reuters
Support for irreverence remains high in France, with an Ifop survey published this week showing that 76 per cent of respondents believed freedom of expression and the freedom to caricature were fundamental rights, while 62 per cent thought people had the right to mock religious beliefs.
Speaking to French ambassadors on Monday, President Macron said: “Terrorism is a risk that remains significant in our society and that requires no let-up and collective vigilance”.
The 2015 massacre was the start of a series of al-Qaeda and Islamic State attacks that killed hundreds of people in France and Western Europe.
France’s interior minister Bruno Retailleau has said “terror threat has never been so present”, warning that other attacks could occur.