What is Charlie Hebdo and why was it a target?

JOANNA SLATER

The Globe and Mail

What is Charlie Hebdo?

Charlie Hebdo is a satirical left-wing French weekly that gleefully skewers religious figures, politicians and celebrities. It was first published in 1969, then closed in the 1980s before reappearing in 1992. Its current editor, Stephane Charbonnier, was killed in Wednesday’s attack, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
The magazine has never shied away from controversy: in 2006, it reprinted a series of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed that were originally published by a Danish newspaper. That prompted a lawsuit, ultimately unsuccessful, against Charlie Hebdo’s then-editor. Muslim groups accused the publication of inciting hatred, but the court ruled it was shielded by laws protecting freedom of expression. The cartoons – which not only broke a taboo against images of the Prophet but portrayed him with a bomb in his turban – had helped touch off riots elsewhere in the world...Continue reading....                                                                                                                                                                                               Related: independent.co.uk Charlie Hedo: A profile of the French satirical magazine