Paris: The French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo which was recently attacked by extremists has announced that it will publish a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed on the cover of its next issue. This will be the first issue since Islamic extremists killed 12 people at its offices.
The newspaper Libération hosted Charlie Hebdo staff as they prepared the new issue and is handling its special million-copy print run in numerous languages.
The cartoon shows a bearded man in a white turban with a tear streaming down his cheek, and holding a sign reading “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie). Overhead was the phrase “Tout est Pardonné” (All is Forgiven), which French media interpreted as meaning Mohammed is forgiving the cartoonists for lampooning him.
Charlie Hebdo’s earlier cartoons of the Muslim prophet appear to have prompted last week’s attacks, part of the worst terrorist rampage in France in decades.