Charlie Hebdo: To publish and be damned – or not | Letters | Media | The GuardianCharlie Hebdo: To publish and be damned – or not | Letters | Media | The Guardian










Close






Skip to main content

 









sign in








subscribe









search




jobs






more


from the guardian:


jobs


change edition:



switch to the UK edition


switch to the AU edition







US edition




switch to the UK edition




switch to the Australia edition













The Guardian


Winner of the Pulitzer prize











home


›
media










home




US




world




opinion




sports




soccer




tech




arts




lifestyle




fashion




business




money




travel




environment







browse all sections
close







 











Charlie Hebdo



Charlie Hebdo: To publish and be damned – or not

















Thursday 8 January 2015 14.13 EST







Share on Facebook







Share on Twitter







Share via Email







Share on LinkedIn







Share on Google+







Share on WhatsApp

















In the spirit of “Je suis Charlie”, I believe a suitable gesture of solidarity would be for the Guardian to publish one or more of the controversial Charlie Hebdo cartoons on the front page. If the paper feels unable to do this, the readers should be able to at least expect a personal statement from the editor as to why, and as to whether fear of violence from jihadist groups is part or all of the reason.Andrew DawsonCrowthorne, Berkshire
• Interviewed on BBC Radio on the evening of the Paris attack, cartoonist Martin Rowson said the cartoon he wanted to draw was one of the prophet Muhammad wearing a T-shirt bearing the message “Not in my name”. If we are not permitted to see images some hold sacred, your cartoon page should include descriptions of cartoons that an oversensitive and violent minority prevent us from seeing. We will have to use our imagination.Dominic RaynerLeeds
• One response to the despicable attack in Paris would be for newspapers throughout the world to come together and publish cartoons that gently poke fun at all religions – and none, including humanism. If we are cowed into not using our freedoms, including the freedom of the press to satirically challenge our beliefs, then we deserve to lose them.Bob ScottGlasgow
• I’m a cartoonist, author and one-time Guardian features contributor who had a book of cartoons on religions around the world, The Good God Guide, published in 2002. It included a handful of gentle, I felt not especially controversial, cartoons about Islam and was introduced by Spike Milligan, shortly before his death. The book merited a whole-page feature in the Times and a few of the cartoons appeared together in the Guardian. Some time after, the book was politely “disappeared” and years of work were wasted, with the publisher telling me it feared Islamic threats. My artistic endeavour was silenced. The widening Islamist attack on free speech and democratic values across the world – and not least one’s being able to enjoy a sense of humour, even a wildly satirical one – must be defied.John PepperLancaster



Topics



Charlie Hebdo




Charlie Hebdo attack




Paris




France




Islam



More…



Religion








Share on Facebook







Share on Twitter







Share via Email







Share on LinkedIn







Share on Google+







Share on WhatsApp



















 






more on this story














Charlie Hebdo and the defence and definition of free speech

Letters: Defenders of free speech suggest anything goes, in which case it should be acceptable to call someone with learning difficulties a ‘retard’



Published: 8 Jan 2015




Charlie Hebdo and the defence and definition of free speech












Charlie Hebdo: Freedoms must not be applied selectively

Letters: There is no one method of killing or motive for killing that is always present in terrorism and never present in war



Published: 8 Jan 2015




Charlie Hebdo: Freedoms must not be applied selectively












Charlie Hebdo: A crime by individuals not a community

Letters: I do not recall white Norwegians being asked by the media to scrutinise their ‘values’ and beliefs in the same way in 2011 following the murderous rampage by the neonazi Anders Behring Breivik



Published: 8 Jan 2015




Charlie Hebdo: A crime by individuals not a community












Charlie Hebdo: We must remember the police officers too

Letters: John Mortimer once said causing offence is important and beneficial to humanity



Published: 8 Jan 2015




Charlie Hebdo: We must remember the police officers too














popular












 








The Guardian






back to top














home




US




world




opinion




sports




soccer




tech




arts




lifestyle




fashion




business




money




travel




environment







all sections
close







home




US




world




UK




europe




americas




asia




middle east




africa




australia






opinion




sports




soccer




MLS




NFL




MLB




NBA




NHL






soccer




live scores




tables




competitions




results




fixtures




clubs






tech




games






arts




movies




tv & radio




music




books




art & design




stage




classical






lifestyle




food




health




love & sex




family




women




home & garden






fashion




business




markets




companies






money




travel




USA




europe




UK






environment




development




cities






science




media
selected




crosswords




video











Media




›
Charlie Hebdo








jobs

subscribe
all topics
all contributors

info and resources

contact us

feedback

complaints & corrections
terms & conditions
privacy policy
cookie policy
securedrop


© 2015 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.






















 
