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Charlie Hebdo took the opportunity to single out Islam because it's an easy target because people like you would stand up and say 'Duuuh, it's just meant to be a joke!' when its purpose was to disinform and play on people's preexisting prejudices.
That rampant disregard for the modernization of a billion people and the assumption they're all raging, kamikaze savages is what Charlie Hebdo was all about. They were insular, hateful old men.
Charlie Hebdo capitalized on a specific brand of xenophobia, or anti Islamic sentiment if you'd like, that didn't attempt to shock people for the sake of humor but was really, truly toxic and hateful. We already know the mag was run by people who did and said racist or offensive things, outside the context of cartoons. We already know they didn't deserve to die for this, but it does not give you or anyone else license to pass them off as harmless comedians poking fun. They were assholes who didn't deserve to die. They deserved criticism, and maybe a lil smack on the bottom, but nobody is saying they deserved it. Stop making that association.
It's so easy to disregard people as reasonable and 'like you and me' by assuming they're all mad about the same things and capable of the same things due to that anger, but this is clearly not the case. I'm not a Muslim person, I'm not someone who grew up in the same environment of worship and dedication to Mohammed, and I find the comics offensive, disrespectful and lazy. Does that mean I'm going to go firebomb some Europeans over it? According to you, it does. After all, I took offense, something a thousand times more terrible than publishing nasty cartoons that play on peoples fears. Nope, all I'm doing is letting people know 'Yo, that's fucking bad!'
Look up some of the really bad Charlie Hebdo comics, the ones that aren't being republished because they're too offensive. if you can't honestly agree that the lengths they went were for the explicit purpose of pissing people off, and not purely for the sake of humor, then I'll let you continue espousing ignorance without reply.
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I think you're perhaps running it too far in the other direction, Mac. You say it's been proven that they're all a bunch of racist assholes, but is there any evidence, aside from the cartoons themselves, that the people murdered espoused such views?
Is it possible that the crude send ups and depictions of Muhammed is less about offending Muslims and more about the idolisation of certain figures by people who resort to extreme violence?
Charlie Hebdo are also known for ridiculing all religions. And I'd say Islam is not the "easy target" considering there are known extremists who murder people for such satire. Not that they're doing great work, Charlie Hebdo, but Jesus Christ is a far easier target than lampooning Muhammed. I don't get the impression that they're singling out Islam but, at the moment, it's the only religion used in a "Holy Wars" across the world (at least it's the only one you hear about). And nothing wets satirist appetites like ridiculing such people.
It's supposed to be humourous but I'm not getting the impression that "It's all just a joke!". There's an intent behind these images and I'm not getting the impression that it's to appeal to the xenophobia and conservatism in the country.
Charlie Hebdo seem like the type of people that aren't going to separate religion from the atrocities or social oppression that's committed in it's name in case they offend the man on the street. Sure, it's antagonistic. It's offensive to certain people. But I think jumping down the racist or xenophobic angle seems like an easy, knee-jerk reaction since they're being martyred by many people.
Regardless, post some of those cartoons that aren't being re-published because I'd like to get a look at them. Perhaps looking at the context of these cartoons will make me see it your way.