French Magazine No Longer Publishes Blasphemous Cartoons
Laurent Sourisseau, the new editor, in an interview with the Washington Post claimed that the purpose of the cartoons was to “defend the principle of freedom of speech not criticizing Islam” and that “we … have reached that objective.”
The satirical weekly has on numerous occasions published cartoons insulting Islam and Muslims, tagging them as “freedom of speech.”
However, a close look at its history reveals that it has failed to live up to the same standard.
In 2009, for example, the satirical weekly dismissed Maurice Sinet, a political cartoonist with Charlie Hebdo for 20 years, for his cartoons that allegedly ridiculed the relationship of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s son with a wealthy Jewish woman.
In the column, the 80-year-old cartoonist commented on rumors that Sarkozy’s son, Jean, intended to convert from Catholicism to Judaism to marry the Jewish woman for financial reasons, saying, “He’ll go a long way in life, that little lad.”
At the time, Charlie Hebdo’s editor, Philippe Val, found the piece offensive and asked Sinet to apologize, but the cartoonist strictly refused to do so.
Sinet then faced charges of “anti-Semitism” and “inciting racial hatred”. He was fired and taken to court by the so-called International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism.
