Many people still remember the scare that happened with the shooting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in late October. Unfortunately, this same terror was experienced on the other side of the world in Paris, France, when a terrorist attack targeted the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo. If you haven’t had the chance to follow this issue very closely, give this a quick skim to help get yourself up to speed.
1. Charlie Hebdo is a satirical magazine based in France whose publication material, such as its cartoons, has often been subject to controversy and critic.
2. An attack by two brothers, the Kouachis, was made against this magazine on Wednesday January 7th, which resulted in at least twelve casualties, one of which included a policeman on duty.
3. A gunman took hostages in a kosher supermarket the next day, Thursday January 8th. The gunman reportedly had connections to the Kouachi brothers who had been the ones to attack the magazine the day before. A hostage rescue mission conducted by French police resulted in the death of the gunman as well as four hostages.
4. Later that day, the Kouachi brothers were cornered by the French police in Dammartin-en-Goele, a commune about 35km north of Paris, and were killed.
5. Je Suis Charlie is the phrase used as a sign of solidarity by the global community towards this terrorist attack. The attack has also been seen as a threat against the freedom of speech; in response, people have adopted the action of raising their pens in the air, showing that they will be undeterred by this violent act.
6. On Monday January 12th, an anti-terror march took place, bringing together the country of France. Since the freeing of France from the Nazis in 1944, this march has been the largest of gathering of the French people, with participating numbers estimated to be around 3.7 million. A number of world leaders such as British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also took part in this march.
7. Charlie Hebdo magazine is continuing publication. Their latest issue, which may also be known as the “Survivors” issue, features a cartoon of a weeping Prophet Muhammad holding a sign with the phrase “Je suis Charlie.” Above this image, there is text that reads “Tout est pardonné” (“All is Forgiven”). Luz, a cartoonist at the magazine who survived the attack, drew this work.
While the cartoon may declare that tout est pardonné, it is clear that tout n’est pas fini with this matter as the situation continues to develop and the world responds accordingly.
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