back to article French Google fund to pay for 1 million print run of Charlie Hebdo next week

Money put into a fund by Google as a sweetener for French publishers during the link tax row of 2013 will be used to pay for next week’s edition of Charlie Hebdo. Following an attack by gunmen on the magazine's offices in Paris on Wednesday – in which 12 people were killed – the media world has come together to support the …

  1. Pat Att

    Well done Google fund

    And well done The Register for showing the Charlie Hebdo covers.

    #JeSuisCharlie

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Well done Google fund

      Well done indeed, though you might want to double check on the top right one, as it is a spoof from right wing extremists, and not the original Charlie Hebdo cover.

    2. julian abbs

      Re: Well done Google fund

      indeed, we are not afraid

  2. mccp

    +1 for publishing the covers

    Unlike the mainstream UK press...

    1. Irongut

      Re: +1 for publishing the covers

      I noticed the Guardian printed a lot of them yesterday.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'll be buying one or two, hope they will make it available worldwide

    1. skeptical i
      Thumb Up

      One over here, please.

      Ditto from the Merkin side of the pond.

      Je suis Charlie (and don't need an octothorpe).

      1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

        Re: One over here, please.

        Moi aussi, c'est vrai.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So; Google supports needling, taunting and provoking Muslims.

    1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

      Fixed that for ya: So; Google supports needling, taunting and provoking BIGOTS REGARDLESS OF RACE, NATIONALITY, PARTY AND COLOR.

      Unless of course Mrs Marine Le Paine cover (the first one), The Pope and various affiliates have all been converted to Salafist variety of Islam overnight.

    2. Amorous Cowherder

      "I may not agree with you or what you say but I will defend your right to say it."

      No it supports the free and democratic right to take the piss out of anyone for satirical purposes, regardless of race, creed or belief.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "I may not agree with you or what you say but I will defend your right to say it."

        as a hardcore cynic I assume they don't do this because they "support the free and democratic right to take the piss out", but simply because it's an opportunity to cash in.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: "I may not agree with you or what you say but I will defend your right to say it."

          simply because it's an opportunity to cash in.

          Didn't you mean "cash out"?

    3. Florida1920

      Anyone more offended by "needling, taunting and provoking" cartoons than by the murders of 12 innocent people is seriously in need of help. No one ever died from looking at a cartoon.

      I'm often offended by various media sources, especially as I'm an atheist. But I don't pick up a battle rifle and storm Fox News HQ, or sit on my butt and encourage others to do so. I simply rarely watch their cable channel or read their Website. At worst I might complain in an online forum or among friends, who are similarly opposed to using violence to express their dissatisfaction with this or that.

      I hope this helps you gain some perspective.

      1. Florida1920

        I want to add to my previous comment. I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims. I think they were violent psychopaths for whom alleged religious belief gave a cover for their disgusting acts. If they hadn't "discovered" religion they'd likely have found some other excuse to act out their frustration at being losers.

        Blogger and professor Juan Cole suggests their acts were intended to provoke attacks against innocent Muslims, causing an "Islamic Awakening" (my term) in France where, according to Cole, most Muslims are not religiously or politically active. Misery loves company, and these psychos seem intent only on dragging other Muslims down to their depraved level. Let's be careful not to play into their sick scenario.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims.

          Every religious and political group has a lunatic fringe. US is majority Christian but there is a deeply dysfunctional Christian minority. The difference is that its murders are mostly State acts rather than those of individuals. The same of course applies to Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

          Saudi Arabia executes about 19 people a month for things that are at worst minor civil offences in the developed world. It also is prepared to flog a journalist to death over 20 weeks for daring to ask for civil liberties. If you want the source of the Islamist poison, it isn't in Islam per se but in the violent rule of Wahabist sects which are trying to take over Islam, funded by a State for which Wahabism is the national religion. Iran is pretty bad internally but it doesn't export its madness to anything like the same degree.

          The world needs to have a conversation about Wahabism and Pakistani tribal religion (another major source of problems), rather than blanket condemnation of "Muslims" as per Rupert Murdoch.

          1. Daniel B.
            Megaphone

            Re: I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims.

            Every religious and political group has a lunatic fringe.

            Indeed. While Islam gets its bad rap these days, most media (especially the rightwinger ones) conveniently sidestep the nasty incidents commited by Christian or Catholic terrorists.

            The late 1920s Cristero uprising, with many despicable things commited in the name of the Catholic Church. If you swapped "Catholics" for "Muslims", you'd think you were reading about the Taliban.

            The 1977 Atocha massacre in Spain, made by a fringe far-right group called the Apostolic Anticommunist Alliance, linked to the religious fascist Franco regime that had collapsed just two years earlier.

            The Olympic Park bomber, who for some weird reason isn't labeled as a terrorist.

            Yet no one judges all Catholics, or Christians based on these nasty people. And they shouldn't. Now, why is that so hard to follow up with Muslims?

            1. Mark 85

              Re: I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims.

              Yet no one judges all Catholics, or Christians based on these nasty people. And they shouldn't. Now, why is that so hard to follow up with Muslims?

              Partly because it's the past and not in the present. The other reason is because they rub in everyone's face that were all infidels, heretics, etc. and then follow up with atrocities. Just look at the crap that going on in the Middle East between the various sects.

              1. Daniel B.

                Re: I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims.

                Partly because it's the past and not in the present.

                There are some in the present, but they don't seem to stick that much.

                Anders Behring Breivik.

                That one is too recent to be overlooked.

                1. jaygeejay
                  Thumb Down

                  Re: I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims.

                  Did Breivik go massacring people in the name of his religion? Because someone "insulted" his prophet? No, he did it because of his political/racist views, not his religious ones.

                  I'm sick and tired of terrorists' apologists bringing up Breivik each time a non-Christian nutjob commits an atrocity. And Breivik was one - how many of the other lot are there?

                  1. Colin Ritchie
                    Windows

                    Re: I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims.

                    @ Jaygeejay

                    I think you missed the point. A gun-totting nutter is a gun-totting nutter whatever excuse he gives.

                    Religion, nationalism, not liking Mondays? The excuse is irrelevant.

                    1. I don't have a handle

                      Re: I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims.

                      "I think you missed the point. A gun-totting nutter is a gun-totting nutter whatever excuse he gives. Religion, nationalism, not liking Mondays? The excuse is irrelevant."

                      A nutter, is a nutter, is a nutter. I quite agree.

                      However, a comprehension of the base ideological framework of extreme religious fundamentalism is still key here. Religious extremism can be neither understood nor addressed if we consider religion a mere irrelevance.

                      On a different tack, and a thought that has just popped into my head whilst typing the above. I find myself wondering why it is only now that the UK government are making lots of noise about UK citizens travelling overseas to fight when, in fact, it has been happening for decades (Pakistan based groups engaging in so-called jihad in Kashmir during the 90's and their later links to the Taliban and others, for example).

                    2. brainbone

                      Re: Religion, nationalism, not liking Mondays? The excuse is irrelevant.

                      Except in this case, the Islamic faith actively encourages strong reaction to those that blaspheme their faith.

                      Look at the lashings Raif Badawi, and many others that speak out, receive. Other are put to death.

                      Violence, even murder, as a response to blasphemy of Islamic faith is not unusual.

                      1. mtp

                        Re: Religion, nationalism, not liking Mondays? The excuse is irrelevant.

                        And the bible mildly says "And he that blasphemeth the name of the lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. Leviticus 24:16"

                        All religions are equal. All can be (mis)quoted to good or bad.

                        "[T]hey took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to xxxx. And there came a messenger, and told him, saying, They have brought the heads of the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in two heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning. "

                        "I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger."

                        Which religion?

                        1. brainbone

                          Re: Which religion?

                          Yes, all Abrahamic (and many other) religions are deeply flawed. We all know the Abrahamic God was a vindictive little shit. But you only need to compare the figureheads of Christianity and Islam, Jesus vs. Muhammad, to see the stark differences in how these religions shape its followers.

                          Please find me a verse in the new testament, or in any other text from the era, where Jesus goes around killing those that don't believe he is the son of god. Just one.

                          Muhammad, on the other hand, is all about dispatching pesky non-believers. Next to abusing young girls and subjugating women, it seems to be his favorite hobby.

                          There is simply no comparison. Islam is by far the most violent and bigoted religion [that's widely practiced] in our modern world.

                          1. Anonymous Coward
                            Anonymous Coward

                            Re: Which religion?

                            Jesus didn't advertise himself as the son of god or the human form of god. He was just another Jewish prophet put to death by Rome. The rest was the work of followers.

                2. Dave Stevens

                  Re: I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims.

                  Has Al-Quaeda been quicked out of Islam? Boko-Haram? IS? Anyone? If so I missed the memo.

                  We call these guys Fundamentalists. It's intended to mean that they are too Muslim. They focus so much on the Koran that they forget everything else. They don't know they're not acting like human beings anymore.

            2. Dave Stevens

              Re:most media sidestep the nasty incidents commited by Christian terrorists.

              You're confusing current news and history.

              There was a lot of bad things done by Christians over 2 thousands years. Not so much currently.

              1. L05ER

                Re: Re:most media sidestep the nasty incidents commited by Christian terrorists.

                yes, mostly truth vs mostly lies.

                surely you aren't implying that anything shouldn't be judged based on its actions because time has passed. are you?

              2. mtp
                Facepalm

                Re: Re:most media sidestep the nasty incidents commited by Christian terrorists.

                These things work in cycles. As generations pass the dominant religion changes and different religions feel oppressed. There is no overall moral high and low ground - just currently dominant factions.

                All religions are equal in all ways, as generations pass they fragment and drift in different directions but ultimately they are all as (in)valid as each other.

                There are thousands of religions believed by people at the moment, millions of forgotten religions and a infinite number of religions that have yet to be conceived. Isn't it a incredible coincidence that of all the millions of possible religions children tend to go for the one believed by their parents.

            3. Turtle

              @Daniel B.

              "Yet no one judges all Catholics, or Christians based on these nasty people.'

              I'm sorry but you're full of shit. There are any number of atheists (including on this site) that will take any behavior by or belief of any Christian or group of Christians and use it to smear all Christians.

              It takes effort not to see that.

              1. brainbone

                Re: @Daniel B. : use it to smear all Christians

                Yes. I'm one of those atheists that will smear Christianity, or any religion, every chance I get.

                But I'm also able to clearly see that Islam and Christianity are not even close when it comes to violence in the modern day.

                You'll be hard pressed to find a verse in the new testament that says anything remotely close to:

                Qur'an (6:93) - "Who can be more wicked than one who inventeth a lie against Allah?"

                (Since the Qur'an prescribes death as the punishment for the crimes, by saying "What could be more wicked", the Qur'an is applying the death penalty for this.)

                Qur'an (33:57) - "Lo! those who malign Allah and His messenger, Allah hath cursed them in this world and the Hereafter, and hath prepared for them the doom of the disdained"

                And from the Hadtih:

                Bukhari (4:241) - "Those who mocked Muhammad at Mecca were killed after he had retaken the city and asserted his authority."

                Remember your history. Remember the barbaric actions of this beloved Muhammad. The "perfect" Muslim.

                Islam is NOT a peaceful religion. Anyone that claims this is extremely ignorant about Islam, deluded beyond belief, or outright lying.

                Winston Churchill said it best with:

                "How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia [rabies] in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy."

                And:

                "Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world."

            4. mtp

              Re: I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims.

              Simply put all religions are equal. I could elaborate and give examples but why bother - the point is simple and easy to understand. Just take any hate article and swap islam/jew or any other combination of religions . If you find that the result offends you less or more then consider why.

          2. brainbone

            Re: I don't for a second believe the 'Charlie' murderers were acting as Muslims.

            I disagree.

            Like many other major religions, Islamic faith is a faith deeply rooted in bigotry and violence. However, while other major religions have generally softened over time, Islam is currently trending the other way.

            And no, in case you're going to go there, it is not Islamophobia point out the this issues with the faith. I'm sick and tired of people constantly spouting on about how Islam is a peaceful religion. Yes, the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful, but no, Islam is not a peaceful religion.

            1. Uffish

              Re: I don't for a second believe ...

              ... that the causes are simple, or that they are concentrated in one subset of people.

              Western Europe has had two world wars and four countries with fascist dictatorships in the recent past and Eastern Europe has had some vicious governments and worse wars in the more recent past. Africa has it's atrocities, many countries have had multiple murders by a lone-gunman or bomber.

              It's not what happens, it's how it is dealt with.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Perspective

        > Anyone more offended by "needling, taunting and provoking" cartoons than by the murders of 12 innocent people is seriously in need of help.

        Drop the "innocent". You don't know that they were "innocent" and it is in any case irrelevant.

        > No one ever died from looking at a cartoon.

        Yes, but about 15 people died because of a cartoon being published, didn't they? And they didn't even die for a good cause because the consequences of this will be a further loss of civil liberties in the name of fighting "terrorism".

        1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

          Re: Perspective

          Yes, but about 15 people died because of a cartoon being published, didn't they?

          So the cartoon leap out and bit them to death or what?

          Also: Gun control, trollanon. "I don't dial 911, I just dial 357"

        2. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

          Re: Perspective

          about 15 people died because of a cartoon being published

          No, about 15 people died because some psychopaths decided to use religion as an excuse. Jimmy Carr once said "offence is not given, it is taken". In this case this certainly rings true.

          Je suis Charlie.

        3. gnasher729 Silver badge

          Re: Perspective

          No, 15 people were _not_ killed because a cartoon was being published. More than 15 people were killed because of four people who are blasphemers (murdering people in the name of the prophet is blasphemy), murderers (obviously), with three cowardly committing suicide which is in itself worth burning in hell for, which also makes their claim that they are "martyrs" quite ridiculous.

          Claiming that this cartoon caused the death of people is deeply offensive.

    4. Peter Simpson 1
      Facepalm

      If you are so religious you can't stand people poking fun at some of the more outlandish acts done in your deity's name, perhaps it's time to take a closer look at what you believe and why.

      Tolerance has to work both ways.

      Nous sommes tous Charlie.

      // I'm nominally Christan, and I like the cover of the Jew, the Pope and the Muslim all yelling that Charlie Hebdo must be veiled.

    5. Mike Taylor

      Google?

      It might be that the "Google fund" is administered independently and nothing to do with Google's initiative

    6. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Paris Hilton

      So; Google supports needling, taunting and provoking Muslims.

      I wonder who is behind this post?

      1. hplasm
        Flame

        So-

        "I wonder who is behind this post?"

        Internet Tough Guy. They love basking in someone else's anything.

        Je suis Charlie.

      2. 080

        I wonder who is behind this post?

        Well it won't be someone who enjoys the occasional bacon roll.

      3. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

        "So; Google supports needling, taunting and provoking Muslims."

        I wonder who is behind this post?

        Some yahoo!?

    7. PleebSmash
      Trollface

      Vous êtes Andrew Orlowski.

    8. Marcus Aurelius
      Paris Hilton

      @AC: The trolling

      Strong with AC is.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Biggest and most important example of the "Barbara Streisand" effect yet.

    Cheers

    Jon

    Je suis Charlie

    1. Daniel B.

      Indeed. I was actually saying that yesterday; this could be the darkest instance of the Streisand effect ever. It's also a special case, as most people who were originally slamming Charlie Hebdo for those cartoons now stand besides them because freedom of speech and not getting killed for it is more important now.

      Je suis Charlie

      1. Mark 85

        Isn't that the way it should be? To quote/paraphrase: "I may disagree vehemently with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.". The basic difference between most of the world and the fundamentalists (and certain countries) is tolerance and free speech.

  6. DrBobK

    Good for you

    Well done El Reg for printing the covers!

  7. Ol'Peculier
    Thumb Up

    Acailability

    I hope that either Charlie Hebdo sells copies on Fleabay for a sensible price, or it's made available as a download (preferably with translations, my French is terrible!)

    And +1 for printing the covers. The press needs to stick together on this one, journalism is not an act of war.

  8. mark.james

    Bravo!

    for posting the cartoons

  9. Wibble
    Thumb Up

    Available as t-shirts?

    Where can we get them as a T-Shirt... I'll have the set.

    Preferably proceeds to the families...

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good stuff.

    Salman Rushdie sums up my thoughts well on this: "Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a threat to our freedom".

    The shear number of people of belive in sky-fairies is frightening. Perhaps it's not surprising when so many people believe in ancient fairy-tales that a few of the less benign ones follow what their special books can easily be interpreted to say.

    There is no reasoning with the illogical. Sadly it is almost certain that more people will die because intolerant people with guns believe in dogshit.

    1. Dave Stevens

      re: Salman Rushdie

      I'm tempted to buy his book. However, I read half of it 25 years ago and, truth be told, I was bored out of my mind. It's a difficult decision.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I wish..

    ..the Hactivist group would post the cartoons on the Jihadist web sites so the offended go after them rather than just take the site down.

    Anon as I am allergic to beheading.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    You missed an important cover.

    We can take it, right?

    1. phil dude
      Joke

      Re: You missed an important cover.

      I'm English and I approve of this message.

      P.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: You missed an important cover.

        Etre méprisés par les Français est souvent un compliment pour les autres. N'oubliez pas Dien Bien Phu.

  13. Snar

    El Reg

    There are reasons why El Reg has been my home page for the last 20-odd years, and this article is one.

    Oh...and the Peter Cook homage on the same day..... :)

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I do hope

    that an English version will be made available.(just for ease)

    A nominal additional monetary charge to support the families of all the people whom have lost their lives in France in the last few days would not be objected to either...

  15. Version 1.0 Silver badge

    Let's have some Charlie spam

    I'd like to see every Charlie Hebdo cartoon emailed to every email address in the Middle East - repeatedly. OK, I know this will be seen as "bad taste" but it would be a darn site more interesting than the daily spam I get from the middle east ever since I signed up for the Emirates frequent flyer program.

    Kickstarter program anyone?

    1. ThomH

      Re: Let's have some Charlie spam

      Just because three pathetic little European criminals claim to be doing something for a particular region of the world, doesn't mean we should target that region of the world.

      I vote for a Google Doodle, including the full range of Charlie's targets.

      (per released details, at the time of writing, all three were raised and educated in France. The birth country has been released for only one: it was also France)

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Thanks to Google

    For funding freedom of speech. It's a bit distrurbing, though, that it needs google to be funded anyway, but we'll see ...

    Nous somme tous Charlie, pour toujours ...

    What a fucking week it was for me ... 2 of the cartoonists (Cabu, Wozniak) I've been appreciating for a quarter of a century being killed this way ... Worst week ever ...

    1. messele

      Re: Thanks to Google

      Thanks to Google? Why should Google get any credit for this. They made no conscious decision to partake in this at all. What a joke!

      No, Google rightfully copped it for their usual business practice of distributing other peoples work for free, thus denying them their rightful earnings for their own work while Google creams ad revenue from it.

      The fund was set up to benefit the publishing / journalistic industry in any way they see fit. Anybody who sees this as some heroic act by Google is as deluded as those Muslim nut jobs and their Koran hatred guide to the world.

      1. eulampios

        @messele

        Andrew Orlowski will appreciate and borrow this sentiment from you for the next anti-Google article of his, I am sure.

        As a matter of fact I agree with most of your findings: Google is not a hero for doing this, it was just a right thing to do, MS, Apple and others should have done the same, they didn't.. And it's in the Google's business DNA to do this. Simply because their business revolves around Free Press and they get pretty unhappy when this liberty is under threat.

        As for for publishing the cartoons by ElReg, I am not sure if it's a heroism, there is no doubt that it a very honorable, bold and just a right thing to do. Other members of the free press should have done the same, since ils sont juste comme nous tous sommes Charlie

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Nous somme Charlies

    The murderers have recently returned from Syria where they were fighting against Assad (after being trained in Jordan by western special forces), were known to the French security services, and yet managed to acquire AK47 and a RPG launcher. Queue security service demands for even more power and surveillance.

  18. Michael Xion

    Not all satire is good satire

    For further reading:

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-09/sparrow-we-should-support-charlie-hebdo-not-endorse-it/6007836

    And (linked from the article above):

    http://www.hoodedutilitarian.com/2015/01/in-the-wake-of-charlie-hebdo-free-speech-does-not-mean-freedom-from-criticism/

    I'd never even heard of the magazine in question before the last couple of days, and I certainly agree that no-one should ever be murdered for expressing an opinion. Just putting these links out there as an interesting viewpoint. :-)

  19. Lghost

    Merci el reg pour les "Charlie Hebdo covers" et le courage

    we are all Charlie,

    nous sommes tous Charlie

    je suis Charlie

    et

    pour l'anonymous la haut

    je t'emmerde

    Posted from France

    1. Mark 85

      Re: Merci el reg pour les "Charlie Hebdo covers" et le courage

      Well said.

  20. Soap Distant

    I'd love to buy a copy, I'm not sure where I can in the UK, but I'll certainly be looking.

    I worry a bit that this will provoke a backlash against innocent people. There is the Pegida movement in Germany and it's hard to forget Anders Breivik and his motives. This won't help.

    This isn't a nice way for the world to be turning.

    Je suis Charlie

    1. Daniel B.
      Alert

      I worry a bit that this will provoke a backlash against innocent people. There is the Pegida movement in Germany and it's hard to forget Anders Breivik and his motives. This won't help.

      Indeed, but if anything this should work against such groups. Religious zealots from any side are a threat to any nation's security and should be dealt with.

      Fortunately, it seems that the worst groups aren't grabbing the JeSuisCharlie flag and are instead saying "they deserved it for mocking religion". Probably because Charlie Hebdo didn't just mock Muslims; if you check their Twitter account you'll see that their avatar is a mockery of Christmas (Le Petit Jesus).

  21. This post has been deleted by its author

  22. Jan 0 Silver badge

    Google?

    If Google is funding the print run (and distribution?) where are the sales recepts going? To the families of the deceased, I hope.

    As an aside, I'm annoyed with the French police for killing the brothers. I wanted to see them tranquillised or tasered, put in court and given life sentences, rather than being martyred.

    Je suis Charlie.

    1. Uffish

      Re: Tasered

      Given that the murderers had Kalashnikovs, rocket propelled grenades, Molotov coctails, handguns and hostages it's not easy to be critical of the authorities.

  23. Sloppy Crapmonster
    FAIL

    "The cash will come from €60m fund (€20m per year over three years) that supports digital publishing innovation. The fund was set up in 2013 following negotiations between Google and the French government as a remedy to demands from European publishers that Google pay for displaying news snippets in its search results."

    So, they're diverting funds from a court-ordered penalty they were already legally obligated to pay, to a feel-good "collector's edition" of a paper that usually sees a miniscule % of that for a full run? Larry&Sergey(&Eric) could pull that much cash out of their couch cushions.

    This is not a humanitarian gesture, folks. This is lawyers picking over a fresh corpse.

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Do you know what i have noticed?

    The sound of utter silence from prominent Muslim leaders denouncing the killings..

    Odd that 'innit......

    *No, course it fucking isn't. Sooner the non Muslims realise we are all non-believers in their (Muslims) eyes, the sooner we can stop the pretence of this being anything other than religious and treat it like the fucking war it is...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

      Funny you should say that. It seemed to me that this was the first time many of them actually did, which was a good feeling.

      For example

    2. Cowboy Bob

      Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

      Bollocks.

      http://www.mcb.org.uk/paris-murders-jan-08-15/

      Probably just that the section of the press written for intellectually challenged knuckle draggers like yourself aren't reporting it.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

      You obviously aren't looking very hard.

    4. Tom 7

      Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

      What like the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury lined up to apologise for that twat Brevik?

    5. Florida1920
      Facepalm

      Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

      Yes, they’re Condemning the Paris Attacks: The Muslims’ War on Terror

      Hezbollah Leader Says Islamic Extremists Have Hurt Islam More Than Cartoonists

      Try doing some research before shooting off your mouth. Stop making it necessary for the rest of us to condemn your bigotry.

    6. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

      There is no "moderate" or "extreme" Islam - there is *only* Islam. Keep reminding yourself of this over and over until it registers.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

        There are no moderate or extreme Christians or Jews, there are only Christians and Jews. So there is no difference between Justin Welby and the Reverend Ian Paisley, or between Julia Neuberger and Binyamin Netanyahu.

        See how silly it sounds when you make a substitution of religions you actually might know something about?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

          When someone advocates evil in the name of a god, I always remember someone who committed an act of evil in the name of Steffi Graf.

          Do you think she was glad to have fans who stab her rivals? It makes the caricature of Mohammed bemoaning his followers, or the Spitting Image sketches of Jehovah being exasperated by his own followers, seem all that more real.

      2. Uffish

        Re: Keep reminding yourself ...over and over until it registers.

        Actually, that's quite a funny joke you wrote there.

      3. DropBear
        Facepalm

        Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

        "There is no "moderate" or "extreme" Islam - there is *only* Islam"

        Really, now? Is this the same Islam that built a whole fucking minaret to Jesus in the name of religious tolerance?!? You know, I might not know about that if I haven't been there myself...

        1. Mark 85

          Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

          Quite possibly not the same Islam. The religion has split into two main groups and numerous splinter groups. The current brand of troublemakers is an off shoot of Wahhabi-ism for which we have the Saudis to thank. They make everyone else in Islam to be pacifists by comparison.

    7. Mark 85

      Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

      The only ones that haven't so as far as I know (only because I haven't checked yet today) are the Saudis. Even Iran, China, etc have respoinded. I was surprised that Hezbollah jumped in, however.

      I'll leave it to others to argue why the Saudis have yet to condemn it.... though given their ties to the extremists/fundementalists/nutcases/etc., I don't think they will except as some sort of token statement.

    8. Uffish

      Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

      @ the OP

      I won't call you a liar because you are simply ignorant, and surprisingly wrong.

    9. Dave Stevens

      Re: Do you know what i have noticed?

      It depends on whom you consider the Muslim leaders. It's all on the media to get the quotes from the right ones.

      What I notice is the fear of a backlash and I think the Muslims leaders are the last ones who should be talking about that. Call for restraint must come from somewhere else or it's just a parody.

      Curious to see how the march on Sunday will turn out. It would be a good time to put an end to the yearly burning of cars in the Paris suburbs or they might very well be yearly reprisals as well. That is what the French Muslim leaders should focus on.

  25. Mr_Pitiful

    Je suis Charlie

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re. Proportional response

    Drop 100,000 copies of the comics on pendrive over Syria,Iran etc.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Re. Proportional response

      Which will achieve what?

      Most Iranians know they are run by a dysfunctional military dictatorship masquerading as a theocracy (the Revolutionary Guards have pinched most of the assets.) Before that they had a military dictatorship friendly to Western oil companies. Before that...they had a democracy which was brought to an end by US interference.

      Then there's Syria, which Assad tried to run as a fairly secular state with increasing repression of the loonies, until the US decided that some of the loonies were on "our" side and decided to give them guns and ammunition, at which point they went off and tried to create a Caliphate.

      Spot the common factor? It's those Islamist-supporting,dictatorship-supporting born again Christians at Langley, Va. that need Charlie Hebdo dropped on them.

      The least we can do is support Assad and the Kurds militarily.

  27. Mark Exclamation

    I reckon those terrorists were *really* brave! They armed themselves to the teeth with automatic weapons and a rocket launcher, then proceeded to walk into an office and kill unarmed people who were just doing their daily job in the office. How brave of the gunmen!

    Then, when they met people who also had weapons, well, we know how it ended. The terrorists were just pathetic when someone could match them. They're definitely not martyrs, but they're definitely dead!

    Je suis Charlie!

  28. mtp
    Alert

    General quotes on the topic

    I can't put it better than these people

    http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/freedom-of-speech

  29. Nature Lover

    Martyrs to Freedom of the Press

    This is a good time to mention one of the earliest martyrs to the freedom of the press (perhaps the earliest and certainly the earliest over here) Mr Elijah Lovejoy, who himself was a religious figure in Murica in the 19th century. He died in 1837 in Alton Il defending his printing presses from pro slavery forces.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_Parish_Lovejoy

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_journalists_killed_in_the_United_States

    http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/david-shribman/2012/11/04/America-s-first-martyr-to-free-speech/stories/201211040178

    see the monument

    Nature Lover , once of Alton,IL

  30. Nature Lover

    Nature Lover

    At this somber time let us recall one of the first martyrs to the freedom of the press(the first?) Elijah Lovejoy. He died at the hands of a proslavery mob in November, 1837 in Alton,Illinois. He was, I might note, a trained Christian minister. Just as a contrast to some of the assertions earlier as to one's beliefs.

    some links:

    http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/david-shribman/2012/11/04/America-s-first-martyr-to-free-speech/stories/201211040178

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_journalists_killed_in_the_United_States

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_Parish_Lovejoy

    Nature Lover

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