
French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo unveiled a special edition on Monday to commemorate 10 years since a deadly attack on its offices by Islamist terrorists, AFP reported.
The front cover features a cartoon celebrating the paper’s resilience with the caption “Indestructible!” Meanwhile, four inside pages highlight the results of a caricature contest which was aimed at mocking God and religious leaders.
“Satire has a virtue that has enabled us to get through these tragic years: optimism,” wrote director Riss, a survivor of the January 7, 2015, massacre that claimed 12 lives, including eight editorial staff.
“If you want to laugh, it means you want to live. Laughing, irony, and caricatures are manifestations of optimism. Whatever happens, dramatic or happy, the desire to laugh will never cease.”
The 2015 attack was carried out by two Paris-born brothers of Algerian descent after the magazine published caricatures satirizing the Prophet Mohammed.
The massacre marked the beginning of a series of brutal Al-Qaeda and Islamic State attacks, which would go on to kill hundreds across France and Western Europe.
The anniversary edition, previewed on Monday, will hit newsstands on Tuesday, coinciding with public commemorations led by President Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
For the special issue, Charlie Hebdo invited cartoonists to submit their “funniest and meanest” depictions of God. “Yes, we can laugh about God, especially if he exists,” declared a headline accompanying the top 40 entries chosen from more than 350 submissions.
In addition to the cartoons, the edition includes a survey conducted with Ifop, examining French attitudes toward press freedom, caricature, and blasphemy. The results show that 76% of respondents view freedom of expression and caricature as essential rights, and 62% believe mocking religious beliefs is acceptable.
Since its founding in 1970, Charlie Hebdo has often tested the limits of France’s hate-speech laws, which allow blasphemy and religious mockery but protect minorities from discrimination.