What is the Charlie Hebdo? - Telegraph

The Telegraph's Henry Samuel in Paris explains what the Charlie Hebdo magazine is about, and why they were targeted by gunmen

French publication Charlie Hebdo is a weekly satirical magazine that gained notoriety for making jokes about Islam.  The magazine, which came under attack on Wednesday after masked gunmen stormed the building, killing at least 12 people, was a known terrorist target.

It had provoked criticism and security warnings as early as 2006, when the editor published cartoons by a Danish artist depicting the Prophet Mohammed lamenting fundamentalist violence.

Six months later, in February 2007, several Muslim groups took Charlie Hebdo to court for publicly "insulting" Islam.  Read More on Charlie Hebdo

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