Breaking News - Allegedly 10 people killed at office of satirical magazine in Paris

My machine is slow. It takes ages to load a thread this long.

I jumped in too quick.

You may well blush girlie 20.14.

The Charlie Hebdo incident is certainly bringing out some good writing. Here's another excellent article. It explains some of the cartoons as well as concluding why all that is ridiculous should be ridiculed.

The cartoonists are inciting.
They are defiant and they are not going to stop.
They know what they are doing.

That does not mean they should be murdered.

thatbags. You say that your family all used to debate ad infinitum with each other.

I read the article. Yes, it is good writing on the whole.

I'm particularly grateful for the cartoonist's explanation of the meaning intended to be conveyed by the picture on the latest cover, although the fact that it had to be explained is worrying in itself.

Actually, I think I will leave that question and this thread. I dont feel right joining in your game.

post to thatbags.

I don't believe even the maker of that cover knows what it's supposed to mean. Totally obscure.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found the cartoon confusing.

I do agree that the Charlie cartoonists are in the 1968 left-wing tradition. I remember those times so well! I don't think that the cartoon is at all obscure. Just look at it and it is obvious, and clever and thoughtful and forgiving.

Who is forgiving whom, whitewave?

If it's so obvious, I mean.

Who said "Father forgive them for they know not what they do"? Jesus a prophet in the Christian tradition and so Mohammed another prophet in the Islam tradition is following suit. I think he is also saying "Not in my name for I am Charlie"

Jesus was being crucified when he uttered those words and were people being murdered in his name?

Charlie Hebdo will not be winning any Muslim friends by assuming they know what Mohammed would say. They will see it as an insult.

Not all Muslims merlot. Forgiveness is a good place to start though, and it is also good to accept the hand that offers it. Let us hope that those who take insult are bigger than that.

'Just look at it and it's obvious' - how incredibly patronising!

Gosh! You never let me down ana

According to Charlie Hebdo columnist Zineb El Rhazoui, the drawing is a call to forgive gunmen Chérif and Saïd Kouachi — not, say, a depiction of the Muslim prophet forgiving the newspaper for its offensive cartoons.

This is from New York News and Politics so not obvious.

Perhaps ANA is telling it like she sees it .

White,22.03 , I am not holding my breath TBH

I do think that the exact meaning of the front page cartoon is not clear, and this article bears that out.

By definition a cartoon should encapsulate a message clearly in a drawing. It therefore fails as a cartoon.

I see that the pope has thrown his contribution in to the debate, saying that religions should not be mocked; but then went on to say that if someone insults your mother, you punch them! I would not punch someone who insulted my mother - would you?

Oh dear I do seem to have touched some sensibilities! Don't be so touchy ladies, there is nothing personal in my ramblings and we all undoubtedly say stuff that others may not like. However, obvious or not I am entitled to my opinion.

Whitewave I've been thinking about this on and off ever since you said this yesterday morning. (Wed 14-Jan-15 09:26:04.) For a moment there I had a lightbulb moment and I understood what you meant. But now, I'm not at all sure that's what it means.