On January 7th, two Muslim extremists attacked the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French magazine, assassinating a total of 12 people. The Charlie Hebdo tragedy has shaken up France and the rest of the world, compelling the public to reevaluate the nature of satire and the laws regarding free speech. Although Charlie Hebdo is a satirical magazine, it has crossed the line of satire and has become a racist publication due to the fact that it uses racist material, takes full advantage of France’s current laws regarding freedom of expression, and promotes hostility towards minorities. The horrific attack that transpired was in retaliation to the magazine’s portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad. Charlie Hebdo has the right to publish whatever
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Caricatures of minorities portrayed with stereotypical features such as elongated noses of Muslims and big lips of Africans are routinely sprawled on the front pages of its covers. These features are not necessary for the jokes to be understood or for the characters to be recognizable. The magazine’s caricatures are not satirical, but racist. Satire is meant to criticize and poke fun at things that are greatly offensive and dehumanizing, not to offend others intentionally. Satire is an attempt to simplify complex social issues by adding humor to capture the attention of the public. The racist drawings found in the pages of Charlie Hebdo are neither critical nor humorous, but ignorant and deeply …show more content…
The French society is in the middle of a culture war. Although French colonialism ended decades ago, a multitude of immigrants, many of them Muslims, have made France their home. France’s white majority is skeptical of immigrants ever truly assimilating to French culture; therefore, they often express hostility to Muslims or Islam itself. Within this culture war, Charlie Hebdo sides with the privileged majority. Although the magazine occasionally criticizes Catholicism, Hebdo is best known for its cartoons of France’s weak populations. The magazine’s portrayal of Muslims, along with other people of color, has been constantly negative and gives readers the message that all Muslims are bad, violent people. Charlie Hebdo holds significant power and is widely read by members of French society; for this reason, its content furthers some of the most basic stereotypes regarding Muslims, spreading racist
Caricatures of minorities portrayed with stereotypical features such as elongated noses of Muslims and big lips of Africans are routinely sprawled on the front pages of its covers. These features are not necessary for the jokes to be understood or for the characters to be recognizable. The magazine’s caricatures are not satirical, but racist. Satire is meant to criticize and poke fun at things that are greatly offensive and dehumanizing, not to offend others intentionally. Satire is an attempt to simplify complex social issues by adding humor to capture the attention of the public. The racist drawings found in the pages of Charlie Hebdo are neither critical nor humorous, but ignorant and deeply …show more content…
The French society is in the middle of a culture war. Although French colonialism ended decades ago, a multitude of immigrants, many of them Muslims, have made France their home. France’s white majority is skeptical of immigrants ever truly assimilating to French culture; therefore, they often express hostility to Muslims or Islam itself. Within this culture war, Charlie Hebdo sides with the privileged majority. Although the magazine occasionally criticizes Catholicism, Hebdo is best known for its cartoons of France’s weak populations. The magazine’s portrayal of Muslims, along with other people of color, has been constantly negative and gives readers the message that all Muslims are bad, violent people. Charlie Hebdo holds significant power and is widely read by members of French society; for this reason, its content furthers some of the most basic stereotypes regarding Muslims, spreading racist