France to close embassies in fear of cartoon backlash

France announced Wednesday it will close 20 embassies across the Muslim world on Friday after French weekly Charlie Hebdo published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed naked, amid growing unrest over an anti-Islamic film that has left dozens dead.


The French foreign ministry announced Wednesday that France will close 20 of its embassies in Muslim countries this Friday following the publication of controversial Prophet Mohammed cartoons by satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. Major protests in the Muslim world generally take place after Friday prayers.

The illustrations, which show the Prophet Mohammed naked and refer to the incendiary US-made film which has been fueling deadly unrest among Muslim communities for over a week, hit newsstands across France on Wednesday.

The magazine's editor, Stephane Charbonnier, told reporters that the pictures, which are printed on the back page, will "shock those who will want to be shocked."

But the French government condemned the decision to go ahead with publication amid a global uprising ignited by the American anti-Islam video which ridicules the Prophet Mohammed. Dozens of people have been killed during the unrest, including the US ambassador to Libya, who was targeted at the consulate in Benghazi by suspected fundamentalists.

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told FRANCE 24 on Tuesday that while he respects freedom of expression, he sees “no point in such a provocation.” Stressing that the French government would never encourage the cartoons’ publication, he called for “reason to prevail.” Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault issued a statement Tuesday saying: “In the current climate, the prime minister wishes to stress his disapproval of all excess and calls on everyone to behave responsibly.”

No backing down

It’s not the first time that Charlie Hebdo, which is celebrated for its irreverent treatment of politicians and public figures, has courted controversy with the Muslim community. In November last year the Paris offices of the paper were firebombed after it published a mocking caricature of Mohammad on its front page.

Editor Charbonnier, originally a cartoonist who uses the name Charb, told French news channel iTele on Tuesday that the paper “does caricatures of everyone, and above all every week, but when we do it with the Prophet, it’s called provocation,” adding that if Charlie Hebdo stopped printing satirical work because of pressure or fear of offence, it would be reduced to selling 16 blank pages every week.

Representations of Allah or Mohammad are considered as blasphemous to Muslims. The main Islamic body in France, the French Muslim Council (CFCM), accused Charlie Hebdo of firing up anti-Muslim sentiment at a sensitive time. “There is profound indignation at the publication of these cartoons,” leader Mohammed Moussaoui told FRANCE 24, describing the cartoons as “unjust” and “Islamophobic”. But Mouassoui also called on France’s Muslim community – which is the biggest in Europe – to “rise above their anger and not give in to the provocation”.

Pascal Boniface, who heads France’s International and Strategic Relations Institute (IRIS), tweeted on Wednesday morning that Charlie Hebdo “is not Islamophobic, but simply opportunist, cynical, and without scruples.”

But with calls already circulating on social networks and the internet for weekend protests over the US film that originally sparked unrest, concerns that the Charlie Hebdo cartoons could exacerbate the situation are mounting.

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WOW! ... Shitbagistan's really gonna erupt now. ... Hide your Pootgoats and Clitroens.



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How come the fRunch wont post this in the their own section?


Waddaya fucking pussy's?


Thanks Chevy for bringing this to a Free Peoples attention.

LMAO wrote:

How come the fRunch wont post this in the their own section?


Waddaya fucking pussy's?


Thanks Chevy for bringing this to a Free Peoples attention.

they're to busy celebrating what bad asses they are while their own versions of hilarity Clinton's bend over

France's Foreign Ministry said it would close its embassies as well as French schools in 20 countries on Friday, amid fears of backlash after a French weekly magazine published a series of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

French authorities said they feared the cartoons published in satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday could cause more outrage in the Muslim world, days after a low-budget film denigrating the Prophet Muhammad sparked violent protests at U.S. and other Western embassies in several Muslim countries.

they should send in fwenxh teams armed to the teeth and wait for Friday and just mow down everyone who approaches a frog embassy or school

now that would be bad ass

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... one thing you have to admit about the French; they are very level-headed, tolerant, and respectful of other cultures. I takes an awful lot to piss 'em off. ... but once they are aroused and angry as hell,


... nothing much happens.






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Fuck the Religion of Pieces
(Translationof the toon anyone?)

Now France can lay off embassy staff to save money and tax the rich less