#RSS Feed for France articles - Telegraph.co.uk [p?c1=2&c2=6035736&cv=2.0&cj=1] Accessibility links * Skip to article * Skip to navigation [telegraph_print_190.gif] Telegraph.co.uk ___________________ Submit Search - enhanced by OpenText Sunday 17 January 2016 * Home * Video * News * World * Sport * Finance * Comment * Culture * Travel * Life * Women * Fashion * Luxury * Tech * Cars * Film * TV * USA * Asia * China * Europe * Middle East * Australasia * Africa * South America * Central Asia * KCL Big Question * Expat * Honduras * France * Francois Hollande * Germany * Angela Merkel * Russia * Vladimir Putin * Greece * Spain * Italy Advertisement 1. Home» 2. News» 3. World News» 4. Europe» 5. France The history of Charlie Hebdo, bastion of French satire The legendary French magazine, target of an attack that killed 12 people, has long tested the boundaries of satire and controversy Oliver Duggan By Oliver Duggan 2:54PM GMT 07 Jan 2015 Follow They never shied away from the most controversial of topics. From the death of Charles de Gaulle to the birth of Islamic extremism, the journalists of France's foremost satirical magazine have endured a turbulent history. Founded in 1969 as Hara-Kiri Hebdo, the weekly publication quickly attracted - and eventually adopted as its official slogan - accusations of being "dumb and nasty". The founding editors, humorist Georges Bernier and François Cavanna, enjoyed their first fracas with the establishment in November 1970, joking about the death of a former French president. Charles de Gaulle died at home in the village of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises aged 79, a week after a nightclub fire in south-eastern France killed 146 people. "Tragic Ball at Colombey, one dead" was the magazine's headline. The country's interior minister swiftly banned Hara-Kiri Hebdo, forcing the group to change their name. Related Articles * Bloody end to supermarket siege 09 Jan 2015 * How Charlie Hebdo's editor stood up to terror 04 Feb 2015 * Bomb attack on French satirical newspaper 02 Nov 2011 * Unity rally for Paris shootings: as it happened 11 Jan 2015 Taking inspiration from a monthly comics magazine produced by two of the team and in homage to Charlie Brown of Peanuts, Charlie Hebdo was born the following week. In the decade that followed, the founding group stumbled on while struggling to find an audience. Until, in 1981, reportedly due to a lack of readers, the magazine was closed. It reemerged in 1991 under the control of Philippe Val, a French comedian and journalist who would edit the publication for 17 years. During that time the magazine would become famous for another controversy; its full-throated opposition to religious fundamentalism and restrictions on freedom of speech. It started in February 2006, in the midst of a global row about the publication of images of the Prophet Mohammed sketched by a Danish cartoonist. Under the title "Mohammed overwhelmed by fundamentalists", Charlie Hebdo printed a front-page cartoon of the Islamic figure weeping and saying, "it's hard being loved by jerks". Inside, they reproduced 12 of the controversial Danish cartoons and added more of their own design. The magazine tripled its usual sales and the politicians whose predecessors had once forced Hebdo to close came rushing to its defence. (With the exception of then French President Jacques Chirac, who said: "Anything that can hurt the convictions of someone else, in particular religious convictions, should be avoided.") Six months later, in February 2007, several Muslim groups took Charlie Hebdo to court for publicly "insulting" Islam. Philippe Val described the trial as a "witch hunt" and Francois Hollande, then Socialist party secretary and current President of France, testified in favour of freedom of expression. The magazine was ultimately cleared of "racial insults" for publishing the cartoons and a court ruling upheld Mr Val's right to satire Islamic extremism. Four years later, after little further incitement from Hebdo, its offices were burned in an apparent arson attack on the day after it published an issue with the Prophet Mohammed as its "editor-in-chief". He was depicted on the front page saying: "100 lashes if you don't die of laughter". The magazine was forced to move office from 20th arrondissement to Rue Serpollet, where on Wednesday 10 Hebdo journalists - including Charb, Val's successor - were killed. But Islam was not alone in attracting Hebdo's derision. Past covers include retired Pope Benedict XVI in amorous embrace with a Vatican guard; former French President Nicolas Sarkozy looking like a sick vampire; and an Orthodox Jew kissing a Nazi soldier. Yet the attack has inspired unanimous backing for the magazine's right to free expression from the very people it lampooned. Vatican officials said the assault had targeted not just the magazine's journalists but the liberty of the press in general. Mr Hollande said: "This is an act of exceptional barbarity [...] against freedom of expression, against journalists who always wanted to show thay they could act in France to defend their ideas and specifically to have this freedom that the French republic protects." David Cameron, the Prime Minister, said: "We stand squarely for free speech and democracy." This is an intolerable act, an act of barbarism which challenges us all as humans and Europeans," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said. "It is an attack on freedom of expression and the press - a key component of our free democratic culture - which cannot be justified," said Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor. Paris Charlie Hebdo attack: live France * News » * World News » * Oliver Duggan » Related Partners * The best way to transfer money overseas In France The Eiffel Tower is lit with the blue, white and red colours of the French flag in Paris, France to pay tribute to the victims of a series of deadly attacks on Friday in the French capital. The City of Paris motto Paris: 25 images that define a week of terror Waterloo Commemorations The Chauvet cave replica Cave paintings recreated The supertide submerges Mont Saint-Michel's narrow causeway, cutting off the historic commune The Tide is High Three days of terror in Paris: A timeline of events A man buys a copy of Charlie Hebdo newspaper at a newsstand in Rennes, western France Charlie Hebdo sells out Hollywood says Je Suis Charlie Top news galleries The big freeze, in pictures Snow covers the Forth and Clyde Canal at the Kelpies in Falkirk Temperatures plunge as winter weather affects many parts of UK Liverpool v Man Utd: how the teams rate How does Alan Smith rate Liverpool and Manchester United's likely starting XIs for the Premier League clash at Anfield? Comments Pictures of the day Giant panda cub Bei Bei, seen through glass, roams in his pen at the National Zoo in Washington. The cub, born Aug. 22, made his public debut Saturday, though zoo members have been able to see him since Jan. 8. Today: A decorated cow, a blessed phone and the World Surf League Pictures of the day A dog covered in snow on Pen y Fan in Brecon National Park, Wales Today: Snow at last, space selfie and Cirque de Soleil The week in pictures People demonstrate the next generation of personal anti-terrorism security outfits by Global Security Response (GSR) at the European parliament in Brussels A round-up of our favourite photographs of the week Fashion flashback: Charlotte Rampling Having started her film career in the mid-1960s, it is the images of Rampling’s style during that decade and the one that followed that have proved to be most enduring Animal photos of the week A harp seal cub looks into the camera against an icy backdrop in the Arctics Gulf of Saint Lawrence All creatures great and small in our ever popular animal gallery 40 optimistic quotes Culture Picture Galleries Cheer up: Martin Chilton picks the best quotes about feeling positive Comments Lumiere London 2016 1.8 London by Janet Echelman In pics: The UK's largest light festival From Colgate ready meals to Bic's disposable undies: the world's weirdest off-brand products Would you buy wine from jeans maker Diesel, disposable underwear from Bic or perfumes made by Zippo? Companies don't always get it right when launching entirely new product ranges. These are some of the odder attempts. Advertisement IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.faceb ook.com%2Ftelegraph.co.uk&width=292&connections=0&stream=false&header=f alse&height=62 Telegraph on Facebook Advertisement Latest Video» Search for sea swept girl in dramatic video Luminéoles by Porté par le vent Lumiere London transforms city David Haye makes statement in London while Tyson Fury makes noise in New York David Haye: I want the belts back Trump critical of US-Iran prisoner swap Germans protest against attacks on refugees Hassan Rouhani Rouhani: nuclear deal 'golden page' in Iran's history More from the web IFRAME: http://s.telegraph.co.uk/international/Barnebys/2014/Barnebys_INT_300x5 50.html Advertisement Advertisement More from the web Loading More from the web Loading SPONSORED FEATURES The Business of Sport Series Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating after scoring a goal The social side of the beautiful game View Telegraph Travel Undiscovered Italy tour for eight days from £849 per person View Telegraph Dating Discover up to 1,000 matches with our intelligent two-way matching feature. Find love today! View Telegraph Wine from Waitrose Save £46.94 on six bottle case of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Offer ends Jan 26 View Back to top * HOME * News * UK News * Politics * Long Reads * Wikileaks * Jobs * World News * Europe * USA * China * Royal Family News * Celebrity news * Dating * Finance * Education * Defence * Weird News * Editor's Choice * Financial Services * Pictures * Video * Matt * Alex * Comment * Blogs * Crossword * Contact us * Privacy and Cookies * Advertising * Fantasy Football * Tickets * Announcements * Reader Prints * * Follow Us * Apps * Epaper * Expat * Promotions * Subscriber * Syndication © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2016 Terms and Conditions Today's News Archive Style Book Weather Forecast