Eight year anniversary of terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo headquarters
Today marks the 8th anniversary of the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo headquarters in Paris, France.
In commemoration of the twelve people that were slain, the magazine released a special issue with a caricature of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei adorning the cover. This issue is centered around the struggles of Iranian protesters, after months of brutal crackdowns following the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of the nation’s religiously conservative morality police. In response, the Islamic Republic closed a French research institution in Tehran.
For Charlie Hebdo, expect the satirical magazine to continue despite threats of violent extremism for its provocative use of Islamic imagery. Under President Emmanuel Macron, policies defining have and will likely continue to sow social and political divisions. Disillusion of anti-discrimination organizations, like the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) in 2020 could fuel tensions. Paris has even pressured the European Commission to curb funding to civil groups that speak out against French government policy.
Recently, social civil liberties have seen more strain in Europe with law enforcement issues, protests, and the rise of far-right nationalism. As such, civic activism will likely continue in UK, Greece, and Italy as Europe in the long-term.
