The cartoonist who drew an image of the prophet Mohammed for
the cover of this week's defiant edition of Charlie Hebdo told
reporters in an emotional news conference Tuesday that the front page is not
the one a terrorist would want "but it's the front page we want." The
cover by Renald "Luz" Luzier shows a weeping Mohammed
holding a sign that says "Je suis Charlie'' (I am Charlie) with the words
"All is forgiven" above him. Zineb El Rhazoui, a journalist with the
newspaper, described the cover as meaning that the journalists were forgiving
the extremists who killed 12 people last Wednesday, including a number of
staffers.
This week's edition is the first since two gunmen opened
fire on an editorial meeting of the newspaper last week, killing much of the
editorial staff, including well-known French cartoonists. Two police officers
were also killed in the attack that left 12 people dead and shocked the
country.
More 1.5 million people — including many world leaders —
turned out in a show of solidarity Sunday, many carrying a sign containing the
"I am Charlie" phrase. The newspaper is printing 3,000,000 copies of
the issue, a huge increase over the normal circulation of 60,000. The
publishers will also put out editions in English, Arabic and Turkish.
The lead editorial argues passionately for the right to
lampoon religions and religious leaders and hold them accountable — and ends
with a critique of the pope. The issue even included a mock front page
featuring Said and Chérif Kouachi, the two gunmen believed responsible for the
carnage at the newspaper offices. The two brothers were later killed by
security forces while hiding in a publishing warehouse.
The surviving staff is working out of heavily guarded
temporary offices at the newspaper Libération.
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