Extremists open fire at Paris satirical newspaper, kill 12

[cobl04]

Charlie Hebdo shooting: twelve dead at Paris offices of satirical magazine – live updates | World news | The Guardian

you keep telling yourself they won't win. and they won't. but that sick feeling to your stomach returns.

[liamcool]

[bono_212]

I saw you on Twitter, and thought you may have started a thread.

I woke up sick in the middle of the night. I was just about to go back to sleep, when I saw the story on my Twitter widget.

I'm feeling absolutely gutted over this, but I really hope that when I wake up again in a few hours, satirical websites the world over respond. I don't want anyone to think for a second that senseless violence will silence anyone.

[cobl04]

this is immaterial because people are fucking dead, but it is so soul-destroying that satire is what caused it. absolutely nothing should be above satire.

gonna go to sleep now and view the shitfight in the morning.

ps cannot believe how many reputable news people/sources are sharing the videos.

[bono_212]

I don't know that it's immaterial, I think that's sort of the point as to why there is just no place for this kind of reaction in the world. But I get what you mean.

[liamcool]

We didn't even make it a fucking week.

[liamcool]

This week's Charlie Hebdo even condemned Michel Houellebecq, an anti-Islamic author with a new publication satirising France under an Islamic president. See here.

[mama cass]

Originally Posted by liamcool

This week's Charlie Hebdo even condemned Michel Houellebecq, an anti-Islamic author with a new publication satirising France under an Islamic president. See here.

"condemned" is totally incorrect - Charlie Hebdo doesn't "do" condemnation, particularly against freedom of speech - it's a satirical magazine ffs - Houellebecq has a new book coming out and is simply fair game...


I am utterly devastated by this news... Charlie Hebdo is a French institution, fearless, genius and adored

Kalashnikovs against cartoons? fucking cowards!!

[Irvine511]

[Diemen]

A good comment from over on Metafilter:

Remember. The enemy of the extremist isn't the opposite extremist, it's the moderate. This sort of thing is done to provoke an extreme reaction to move the moderates to the extreme. These guys *actively want* war, but they're not going to get it with "Great Satan" talk. They are banking on an overreaction, which will drive more Islamic moderates towards the extremist position, and more French moderates to the "Islam is Evil Must Destroy" extreme.

When everybody's an extremist, then you can start really fighting.

The right answer is to handle this as a police matter. The wrong answer is to handle it as a military matter and create ISIS mark II.

Salman Rushdie also weighed in:

Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms. This religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today. I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity. ‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.

Hope the cowards responsible are brought to justice.

[anitram]

Devastating.

I do think that the west has been somewhat dishonest about discussing Islamic movements in general and are a bit too quick at the trigger to declare who we think does and does not represent them. Just an observation.

[Teta040]

Bravo, Diemen.....well-said...or rather, well-quoted.

[last unicorn]

What a horrible attack on the FREEDOM of each and every one of us.

https://twitter.com/amnesty/status/552891202983309313

[corianderstem]

This is very upsetting.

[deep]

Originally Posted by last unicorn

What a horrible attack on the FREEDOM of each and every one of us.

no attack on my freedom at all

I do think it is terrible and condemn the killers

on a lesser level the killers only followed the golden rule and the cartoonists did not

[BoMac]

Reports are that the three gunmen, aged 18, 32, and 34 (including two brothers) have been arrested.

[deep]

I hope they got the rocket-launcher, too.

[deep]

[mama cass]

Originally Posted by BoMac

Reports are that the three gunmen, aged 18, 32, and 34 (including two brothers) have been arrested.

No, they've just been identified and possibly located...

[mama cass]

deep, Charlie Hebdo satirizes everything and everyone, all politicians, all religions, but normally no-one else attempts to kill anyone over it