Looks like Charlie Hebdo Will Still Cock Its Snout

The French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, which has been hit by masked gunmen in the "deadliest attack in decades" is well-known for its lampooning of issues in current affairs, always mocking politicians and leaders, according to vox.com. Its unique selling point is its "complex identity politics", which is typically French.

The defiance and cheekiness of the magazine was captured in an interview to Le Monde in 2012. When asked about the threats at that time to his paper, Stéphane Charbonnier, the publishing director, said: "What I'm about to say is maybe a little pompous, but I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees."

In that very same interview, its editor in chief, Gerard Biard, also expressed the magazine's feeling: "If we say to religion, 'You are untouchable,' we're fucked."

It was confirmed that "at least two" armed attackers stormed the weekly's headquarters in central Paris on Wednesday, killing 12 people. The gunmen shouted "Allahu Akbar", rampaged the place and ran from the spot.

Satire is a respected tradition in French journalism, and goes back to much before the French Revolution. At the time, satire helped to undercut the prestige and dignity of the French royalty, according to france24.com.

Even though there are not too many readers for the magazine, it is an important satirical tool, as well as the boldest. The magazine is left-leaning. It always puts up a "provocative, acerbic and sometimes lewd take" on current global issues. It also usually puts down celebrities and big names, be they presidents or popes.

Repeatedly, it has published caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed, as an advocate of free speech as well as France's secularism.

In 2006, it put up the first cartoons of the prophet when it reprinted those that appeared in a Danish publication a year before. That cartoon had been drawn by a Danish author, who was attacked in 2010 by an "axe-wielding intruder". However, he escaped without getting hurt.

In November 2011 too, the offices were bombed, after the magazine brought out a "spoof issue". It "invited" the prophet to be its guest editor, with a cover picture of his caricature.

Stéphane Charbonnier, or Charb, just stood in the debris with a copy of the paper held up in the debris. "The only thing that threatens the press is self-censorship," he told FRANCE 24 shortly after the attack.

The following year, Charlie Hebdo released new cartoons of Mohammed, showing him as naked and in "demeaning poses". In a rare move, the French government admonished the team, charging it of invoking tensions.

However, Charb explained to the Associated Press: "I don't blame Muslims for not laughing at our drawings. I live under French law. I don't live under Koranic law."

Since 2011, Charb, 47, got police protection. The police officer who protected him, though, was also killed in yesterday's attack. Some footage of the attack exhibited the gunmen shouting "the prophet has been avenged" as they fled the scene.

Unfortunately, French officials explained that Charb was killed along with his colleagues, Jean Cabut or Cabu (76), Georges Wolinski (80), and Bernard Verlhac or 'Tignous" (57), who are among the finest cartoonists.

Would Charlie Hebdo continue its defiant tone? Till the end the cartoonists showed their bravery. But will it retain its tone?

"Charlie Hebdo was a small oasis. Not many dared do what they did," said Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who lives under police protection after drawing caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. "This will create fear among people on a whole different level than we're used to," he added.

Just a few seconds before the attack, Charlie Hebdo had tweeted a cartoon of the leader of the extremist Islamic State organization's hopes for the New Year. Titled "Still No Attacks in France", it featured and quoted a caricature of a terrorist: "Just wait - we have until the end of January to present our New Year's wishes."