Paris, France, Nov 3, 2011 / 11:47 am
The attack against the offices of the French satirical magazine, “Charlie Hebdo,” has been unanimously condemned in France.
The front-page of the latest issue, subtitled "Sharia Hebdo," a reference to Islamic law, showed a cartoon-like man with a turban, white robe and beard smiling and saying in an accompanying bubble, "100 lashes if you don't die laughing."
The magazine also "invited" the Prophet Muhammad to be its guest editor for the week.
The offices of the magazine were firebombed with Molotov cocktails early on Nov. 2. Computer hackers also posted pictures of a mosque on Charlie Hebdo's website with the words: “There is no god besides Allah.”
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon called for an investigation into the attack and said those responsible would be prosecuted. The country's interior minister, Claude Gueant, expressed support for the magazine, saying, “(f)reedom of expression is sacred” in France.
The mayor of Paris and other French publications have offered to provide the magazine staff with temporary office space.