A French satirical magazine has come under fire for its provocative images.
French magazine Charlie Hebdo has sparked outrage on social media after publishing a cartoon that appears to depict a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed thousands in Turkey and Syria.
A painting by artist Pierrick Juin showed torn apart houses amid piles of rubble with the words: “There’s no need to send in tanks.”
✏️Photography of the day, and #June pic.twitter.com/kPcEqZDocO
– Charlie Hebdo (@Charlie_Hebdo_) February 6, 2023
Social media users said the cartoon mocked the tragedy that affected millions of people in two countries and called the picture “disgusting”, “shameful”, “vile” and similar to “hate speech”.
A woman named Sara Assaf replied that she was no longer supporting the magazine. “Je ne suis plus Charlie” (I’m not Charlie anymore), he wrote, referring to the words “Je suis Charlie” (I’m Charlie) taken by the supporters of the center after the attack on their office on January 7, 2015.
On that day, two brothers who claimed to be members of al-Qaeda opened fire on the headquarters of a French weekly newspaper in Paris, killing 12 people in retaliation for a cartoon of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
The attack sparked an outpouring of international support for France and a debate over what constitutes free speech.
“We were with you in your time of pain. What a disaster for mankind that we are facing now! one user said, before finishing: “No, it’s not funny.”
An American Muslim scholar, Omar Suleiman, said: “Scorning the death of thousands of Muslims is the ultimate example of how France has dehumanized us in every way.”
“We don’t need tanks anymore” they say in celebration.
What a disgusting publication. It always has been. Denigrating the death of thousands of Muslims is the epitome of how France has dehumanized us in every way.
And the crazy thing is that we can’t say that this is a new low for you. https://t.co/8jWYhlCzvk
– Dr. Omar Suleiman (@omarsuleiman504) February 7, 2023
Some users noted how the Turks supported the deportations after the 2015 coup, following the “Je suis Charlie” campaign, but the return was what many saw as an insult.
Politician Öznur Küçüker Sirene spoke to the magazine in a tweet. “Even the Turks were ‘Charlie Hebdo’ to share your sorrow and today you laugh at the suffering of all people. One should have the strength to do this while there are babies waiting to be rescued under the ruins,” he said.
Even the Turks were “Charlie Hebdo” to share your pain and today you are trying to laugh at the suffering of all people. You really have to have the nerve to do this when there are babies waiting for help under the trash.
– Oznur Kucuker Sirene (@SireneOznur) February 7, 2023
One user said the cartoon showed the “true spirit” of Charlie Hebdo, while another said “the only way to get this newspaper is Islamophobia”.
There is no respect for human life, no shame, only evil. This has been the true spirit of Charlie Hebdo.
– Ouissal Harize | Wissal Harize (@OuissalHarize) February 7, 2023
The line also received a response from Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesman for the Turkish president. “Modern Pagans!” he tweeted. “Suffice in your hatred and anger.”
Some supporters of Charlie Hebdo tried to defend the joke, calling it “satire” and that it needed a “story”.
