Charlie Hebdo Attack Shocks the Cartooning Community

On Wednesday, January 7, three assailants stormed the Paris offices of the satirical publication Charlie Hebdo, claiming 12 lives, including those of four cartoonists and the magazine’s editor. Video recorded during the assault suggests the gunmen believed they were avenging perceived offenses to their faith, allegedly published by the magazine.

Toons Mag unequivocally condemns this brutal terrorist attack. Our thoughts are with the cartoonists, satirists, their loved ones, and the entire nation of France. Such actions reflect deep insecurity—apparently driven by the fear that their religion cannot endure even the mildest scrutiny, and that the God they profess to worship is neither strong enough nor compassionate enough to endure satire. It is important to note that these individuals do not speak for Islam as a whole; they are criminals acting on their own.

We stand in solidarity with the courageous cartoonists and journalists who risk their safety to exercise freedom of expression, and we offer our support to their families. An attack on free speech in one part of the world is a strike against freedom everywhere.