French leaders fret over new Mohammad cartoons

The Charlie Hebdo's publisher, known only as Charb, looks at documents removed by firemen on November 2, 2011, in Paris, in front of his offices after they were destroyed by a petrol bomb attack overnight. / ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/Getty Images

The Charlie Hebdo's publisher, known only as Charb, looks at documents removed by firemen on November 2, 2011, in Paris, in front of his offices after they were destroyed by a petrol bomb attack overnight.

/ ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/Getty Images

(CBS News) The French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo has been down this road before. In November 2011, its offices in Paris were firebombed following the front page publication of a cartoon of the Muslim prophet Mohammad saying "100 lashes if you are not dying of laughter."

At the time, the paper's then-editor-in-chief, Stephane Charbonnier, told the BBC: "This is the first time we have been physically attacked, but we won't let it get to us."

Perhaps being true to his word, the paper has planned another series of cartoons of Muhammad, including, according to Reuters, "nude caricatures." The paper is due to hit newsstands Wednesday.

The timing of the cartoons may be especially worrisome for leaders in France, home to Europe's largest Muslim population. The recent discovery of an online trailer for an anti-Muslim film produced by a Coptic Christian in America has sparked violent and occasionally deadly protests all over the world in countries with large Muslim populations. It is forbidden in Islam to produce caricatures of Mohammad, and some conservative Muslim leaders have mobilized their outrage into aggressive protests in recent years every time a Westerner does so.

Egypt seeks arrest of anti-Islam filmmaker
U.S. Coptic Christians, Muslims denounce anti-Muslim film
AP: U.S. destroying secret info amid Beirut unrest

French leaders have given a mixed response so far to the announcement of the new Mohammad cartoons' publication as the try to balance a desire to respect their progressive ideals with avoiding violence at home.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault issued a statement, which Reuters translated as saying: "In the current climate, the prime minister wishes to stress his disapproval of all excess and calls on everyone to behave responsibly."

French newspaper Le Monde reports that Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, on a visit to Cairo, condemned the cartoons, claiming to the French government is "against hostile provocations at this time."

The Interior Ministry has announced plans to beef up security around the offices of Charlie Hebdo as a precaution, according to Le Monde.

Dalil Boubakeur, the senior cleric at Paris's biggest mosque, told Agence France Presse he has appealed for France's Muslims to remain calm.

"It is with astonishment, sadness and concern that I have learned that this publication is risking increasing the current outrage across the Muslim world," he said. "I would appeal to them not to pour oil on the fire."

In 2005, a Danish paper, Jyllands-Posten, posted cartoons with Mohammad in them, including one featuring Mohammad wearing a bomb in a turban. At the start of 2006, Danish embassies around the world were attacked, several countries withdrew their ambassadors, and dozens died in rioting. In 2010, several men were arrested, accused of trying to attack and kill as many as possible at the Jyllands-Posten offices. At one point during the controversy, Charlie Hebdo republished those cartoons as an act of solidarity.

[Seanyke]

BILL MAHER: Apparently the person who made this movie originally claimed he was Jewish and got the funding by raising $5 million from a hundred Jews, not one of whom has come forward to ask for a producer credit. So we know that's bulls--t.

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/09/15/bill-maher-makes-greedy-jews-joke-about-producers-anti-muslim-film#ixzz26ySImY5D

[Seanyke]

Let's see what happens if I were to make jokes about some 'untouchable' religion

An Orthodox priest, a Catholic priest and a rabbi were talking together.

'How much of the collection do you give God and how much do you keep for yourself?' the Catholic and the rabbi asked the Orthodox priest.

'I divide all the money coming into the Church into a big pile and a small pile; the big one is for God and the small one is for me,' says the Orthodox priest.

'Well,' says the Catholic priest, 'I divide the money into two even piles, one for God and one for me.'

'I put all the money on a tray and throw it up into the air,' says the rabbi. 'And what God wants God keeps.'

[john5673]

MUSLIMS SHOULD NOT FOLLOW THE SUICIDAL PATH. It looks like that the Western world is determined to paint Muslims and Islam as the out-class race and religion by carrying out uncivilized, immoral and vulgar JIHAD against them using pretext of freedom of speech and expression. It is a calculated war designed by the Zionists, Christian militia and zealots; all combined together. They have skillfully converted majority of Muslims as un-lawful and criminal and their human rights, morality and equal rights have been curtailed using their phony slogan of war on terror around the globe.
Under this circumstances, wise Muslim leaders should come out and educate their Imams to use the democratic means of expressing their opposition and use their ballots during the election decisively to weeded out the Islam o-phobias. Also, they should use the democratic tools of publishing their own view points in other medias and providing financial support to the right candidates with right ideology. Also, 53 Islamic Nations should convey the U.N. General Assembly and use their power to pass Resolution to stop this Jihad of freedom of speech at least for the known respected Prophets and respected religious personalities of major Religions similar to Jews have been awarded the tool of Antisemitism. Muslim nations can also take many other legal, political and economical action to stop this un-holy Western Jihad. But to start violence or destruction of property in the name of such provocation will be SUICIDAL for Muslims and Islam in long run and must be stopped at once.

[Seanyke]

Well said. Using brain has a much more lasting effect as compared to brawl.

[sampa1961]

Bibles are not allowed in Saudi Arabia, they are confiscated and dumped in garbage in public for all to see. Christians are insulted in mosque and on loud speakers every Friday in most of the Islamic word.

[sampa1961]

Bibles are not allowed in Saudi Arabia, they are confiscated and dumped in garbage in public for all to see. Christians are insulted in mosque and on loud speakers every Friday in most of the Islamic word. and you know it.

[tsigili]

Time for the world, to expose the radicalism of Islam.

Islam is a danger to the entire free world.

[endrepubs]

I admire the French. Cartoon the he.ll out of Mohammed! The Muslims have become the laughing stock of the world.

[euge005]

Just show me the cartoon. I want to see if it is funny, purposeful or just sick. And I wnat to decide for myself, thank you. The children that keep screaming need to grow up. Freedom includes freedom of speach, figure it out and abandon the dark ages. Then you would be more worthy of respect.

[TITOO27]

On the front page of the paper Charlie Hebdo, you can see one muslim and one jewish : the first one is on a wheelschair and the second one is pushing the wheelschair. at the top of the page is written : "INTOUCHABLE" (UNTOUCHABLE)
Which refers to the movie selected for Oscars best foreign movieie
and to the fact that two religions only can't be mokked.
@BeirutNation : Anti-Semitism is not against Jewish faith
Racism is not against a religion
Homophobic is not against a religion
Question the Holocaust is not against a religion
Christian religion is often mokked by Charlie Hebdo more than Islam

[Seanyke]

I don't understand why is there a need to provoke the Muslim world? Is it worth risking the lives of diplomats for the sake of these irresponsible, twisted & immoral media people who would rather let a person die just to get good photos (case of Princess Diana and Dodi).. I'd say tie their hands for good. These bast**ds need some monitoring before publishing their stuffs because of their immaturity.

[Icarenot]

They are just showing the muslims that other countrys are not bind by muslim law.

[Icarenot]

Should be "bound" not "bind"

[BeirutNation]

Insult another race: Racism
Insult the Jews: Anti-Semitism
Question the holocaust: Crime
Insult Homosexuals: Homophobic

Insult Islam: "Freedom of Speech"

Pathetic.
Respecting others beliefs is a must, unless ur a muslim or middle eastern? isnt the role of the media is to educate people instead of insulting their belief/faith? ever seen a muslim burn a bible like mr.jones in the USA ? If any one would reply saying muslims hate jews you are mistaken, they hate the zionist system that every one turns a blind eye to.... In lebanon there are jews and we live together happily not to mention lebanon is an arab country not a muslim one...much more to say. Thinking of having thicker skin is a way to handle comments isnt always the solution.

[danteifa]

Christianity is routinely presented in irreverent ways and there is no big deal about it