Charlie Hebdo is known for satirizing religious and political figures. Because of this the magazine has been guarded by the police but that guard did not stop three gunmen from entering the building and gunning down journalists and cartoonists Wednesday.
Today a manhunt is ongoing in France looking for Cherif Kouachi, 32, and Said Kouachi, 34. The two brothers along with Hamyd Mourad, 18, are accused of the attack. Mourad, a high school student, turned himself into police.
Cherif Kouachi was convicted for jihadist recruitment in 2008 but spent little time behind bars. He was charged in 2010 in connection with a failed plot to break Smain Ait Ali Belkacem out of prison. Belkacem is serving time for bombing a rail station in Paris in 1995. The charges were later dropped.
The brothers were born in Paris and orphaned when they were young boys. They grew up in Rennes, France.
They have been spotted in Picardy where they stole gas and food Thursday morning. Police believing that the suspects are in the area have have been asked people to stay inside in Longpont as police narrow in on the suspects.
The terrorist attack may have wanted to silence those who speak out against radical Islam but it has had the opposite effect. Today in Quebec French newspapers have published a Charlies Hebdo cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad honouring the victims of the shooting. The papers released a joint statement of their actions:
“Attacking someone simply for their ideas and opinions is an unacceptable impediment to democracy.”
CBC News did not publish the cartoon but says it is not because of censorship. Director of Journalistic Standards and Practices for the CBC David Studer said, “We are being consistent with our historic journalistic practices around this story, not because of fear, but out of respect for the beliefs and sensibilities of the mass of Muslim believers about images of the Prophet. Similarly, we wouldn’t publish cartoons likely to dismay or outrage mainstream followers of other religions.”
Charlie Hebdo will release its next issue next week with eight pages. Liberation magazine is helping with the production of the edition.
Toronto City Councillor Norm Kelly has asked the CN Tower to light up Thursday night in red, white and blue, the colours of the French flag, to show support. In Paris the Canadian embassy is flying the flag at half mast.
