A French newspaper that promised “100 lashes if you don’t die laughing†in an issue poking fun at the Prophet Muhammad was firebombed. Hit the jump to read the rest of the story.
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The arson attack came after staffers at the Charlie Hebdo weekly received threats over their latest issue — billed as edited by Muhammad.
An eyewitness spotted a suspect tossing a pair of Molotov cocktails at the newspaper’s unoccupied Paris offices around 1 a.m., damaging two floors and some equipment, police said.
The newspaper’s front page this week portrayed a cartoonish figure sporting a turban, white robe and beard, beneath the weekly’s new name for the week: “Sharia Hebdo,†a reference to Muslim law.
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon condemned the firebombing as authorities began searching for suspects.
“Freedom of expression is an inalienable value of our democracy,†read a statement from Fillon. “No cause can justify a violent action.â€
The mayor of Paris promised to find new office space to help the paper continue publishing after the blaze.
The attack was also blasted by Mohammed Moussaoui, head of the French Council for the Muslim Faith — although he took exception with the newspaper’s content.
The group, while opposing “all forms of violence,†blasted Charlie Hebdo for “the very mocking tone of the paper toward Islam and its prophet,†said Moussaoui, whose group represents France’s 5 million Muslims.
Islamic law prohibits any depiction of Muhammad. A Danish newspaper’s 2005 decision to run cartoons of the prophet ignited protests in Muslim countries.
The offending issue, which hit newsstands just hours after the fire, was inspired by recent political events in Tunisia and Libya.
Last week, a formerly banned Islamic party won in Tunisia’s first free elections — shortly after Libya’s news leaders declared Sharia law will apply under the post-Khadafy government.
