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Charlie Hebdo attack



The pencil can be as lethal as the sword

















Unity rally in Paris, following the Charlie Hebdo attacks, 11 January 2015. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images





Sunday 11 January 2015 14.56 EST







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For anyone committed to the ideal of a multicultural society, the murder of cartoonists who vulgarly ridiculed Islamic faith proves a complex matter to address in times of soaring Islamophobia. Joe Sacco approaches this explosive issue (10 January) in a respectful and differentiated way; at the cost, however, of ignoring the political meaning of the attack. Charlie Hebdo’s caricatures are indeed often offensive. But Sacco’s reflections on the use of stereotypes or on a previous controversy over anti-Semitism in Charlie Hebdo are highly problematic in the context of the shooting. What Sacco and many others who prefer criticism over solidarity fail to understand is that the Je suis Charlie manifestation does not imply an acceptance of the magazine’s caricatures. Quite on the contrary: the power of the statement lies in the identification with a magazine which many – including presumably the several French imams who declared their support – strongly disliked. The failure of prominent voices among the left to grasp the gravity of the attack is one of the most disturbing phenomena it has revealed.Avner OfrathOxford
• Joe Sacco’s humanity shines on this week’s dreadful events with a rare clarity and honesty. It’s only a starting point to defend the right to be offensive. We must also ask what greater good our offensiveness serves – if any. Sacco illustrates that, in reality, only some offensiveness is defended, and asks us to consider why. If powerful reactionary forces mock vulnerable and victimised groups, is that as valid as when the tables are turned? What happens if a group is weak in one arena and powerful in another, and the balance is constantly contested? Instinctively we are all aware, that if the pen/cil is mightier than the sword, it can also be as dangerous. Sacco’s cartoon alone justifies my Guardian subscription as a contribution to free and responsible speech. Emma LaughtonColyton, Devon



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Cherif Kouachi during 2008 terror trial: 'I've been set up' - video

File footage of one of the Paris gunmen, Cherif Kouachi, arriving at court in 2008 on charges of helping to funnel fighters to Iraq's insurgency



Published: 13 Jan 2015




Cherif Kouachi during 2008 terror trial: 'I've been set up' - video












Analysis Charlie Hebdo attackers: born, raised and radicalised in Paris

The radicalisation of the Kouachi brothers began in a picturesque park in the capital while Amédy Coulibaly took the first steps towards terrorism in prison, but what the three had in common was growing up on the margins of French society



Published: 12 Jan 2015




Charlie Hebdo attackers: born, raised and radicalised in Paris












Paris shootings: investigation launched into where gunmen got GoPro cameras

Officials try to pinpoint when and where cameras found in possession of Kouachi brothers and Amédy Coulibaly were obtained



Published: 12 Jan 2015




Paris shootings: investigation launched into where gunmen got GoPro cameras












Paris attacks: 10,000 troops deployed as France hunts for accomplices

Mobilisation of 10,000 troops to guard potentially vulnerable locations comes as prime minister warns that ‘threat still present’



Published: 12 Jan 2015




Paris attacks: 10,000 troops deployed as France hunts for accomplices














Paris shootings: Jewish school ‘likely target’ of gunman Coulibaly




Published: 12 Jan 2015




Paris shootings: Jewish school ‘likely target’ of gunman Coulibaly








Analysis Mentor of Charlie Hebdo gunmen has been UK-based




Published: 11 Jan 2015




Mentor of Charlie Hebdo gunmen has been UK-based








Paris gunman Amedy Coulibaly declared allegiance to Isis




Published: 11 Jan 2015




Paris gunman Amedy Coulibaly declared allegiance to Isis








Charlie Hebdo: a letter to my British friends

Olivier Tonneau




Published: 13 Jan 2015




Charlie Hebdo: a letter to my British friends
















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