Overview - The Charlie Hebdo attack

The terrorist attacks against Charlie Hebdo sparked an important debate about fundamental political and ethical issues such as freedom of expression, the relation between state, religion and society; respect for other beliefs and perspectives, inequality, and the disenfranchisement of individuals and communities.

Many mainstream media and scholarly publications published after the Charlie Hebdo attack reflect a wide range of political positions, religious issues and social backgrounds, and illustrate a civil debate that happened in France and internationally.  The selected material is divided in two categories:

1) The first category relates thematically to the Charlie Hebdo publication and is organized around three different themes: Charlie Hebdo magazine, Media and Political Satire and Freedom of Speech 

2) The second category covers the terrorist attack and is organized around three different subjects: Terrorist attacks in France in the 21st century, Religion, society and laicism, Social reactions and protests

You will find below a highly curated selection of articles reflecting the first category of materials described above. 

Charlie Hebdo magazine


Vauclair, Jane Weston. “Local laughter, global polemics: understanding Charlie Hebdo.” European Comic Art, 2015, Vol.8 (1), pp. 6-14. [Peer Reviewed Journal] ISSN: 1754-3797.

Mcgrogan, Manus. “The politics of provocation: Charlie Hebdo, then and now.” Contemporary French Civilization, 07/2016, Vol. 41(2), pp.167-195. [Peer Reviewed Journal] ISSN: 0147-9156 ; E-ISSN: 2044-396X. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/cfc.2016.9

Tonneau, Olivier. “Charlie Hebdo: a letter to my British friends.“ The Guardian, 13 janvier 2015.

Weston, Jane. “Bête et méchant: Politics, Editorial Cartoons and Bande dessinée in the French Satirical Newspaper Charlie hebdo.”, European Comic Art, Jun 2009, Vol.2 (1), pp.109-129,172. [Peer Reviewed Journal]. ISSN: 17543797 ; E-ISSN: 17543800

Young, Robert V. "Charlie, qu'est-ce que ça veut dire?." Modern Age, 2015, Vol. 57 (2), pp. 3-5. [Peer Reviewed Journal]  ISSN0026-7457 

« Luz,  ‘Envie de passer à autre chose’ », entretien avec Frédéric Potet, Le Monde, 18 mai 2015.

Media and political satire


Mathieu, Isabelle. "Ruptures symboliques. Charlie ou le cercle brisé de la médiation culturelle." Université de Bourgogne, published in ESSACHESS. Journal for Communication Studies, 2015, Symbolic Communication, Vol. 8, No 1(15) (2015), pp.37-45.

Id. ,“Symbolic severance. Charlie or the broken circle of cultural mediation.” ESSACHESS: Journal for Communication Studies, 01 July 2015, Vol.8(15), pp.37-45 [Peer Reviewed Journal]. ISSN: 2066-5083 ; E-ISSN: 1775-352X 

Hannoum, Abdelmajid. “Cartoons, secularism, and inequality.” Anthropology Today, October 2015, vol. 31, no. 5, p. 21-24. [Peer Reviewed Journal]. ISSN: 0268-540X ; E-ISSN: 1467-8322 ; DOI: 10.1111/1467-8322.1220 [In reaction to: Fassin Didier, cf. infra.]

Stankiewicz, Damien. "The Politics of the Cartoon in Anthropological Context: Charlie Hebdo as Trans/Cultural." Contemporary French Civilization, vol. 41, no. 2, July 2016, pp. 145-165. ISSN: 0147-9156 ; E-ISSN: 2044-396X ; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/cfc.2016.8

Sanadjian, Manuchehr. “Icons vs satirical inversions: Islamic rule and the ‘death of the author’ – the murder of the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists in Paris. Social Identities, 05/04/2015, Vol.21(3), pp.294-301 [Peer Reviewed Journal]. ISSN: 1350-4630 ; E-ISSN: 1363-0296 ; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13504630.2015.1070726 

Tillier, Bertrand. “La caricature en France ... toute une histoire! [The cartoon in France ... a whole history!].” Oeil, March 2015, Issue 677, pp.36-43. ISSN: 0029-862X.

Duprat, Annie and Bihl, Laurent. “Caricature and the public space.Sociétés et représentations, 2015, Vol.39, pp. 227-236. ISSN: 1262-2966 [SPECIAL EDITION CHARLIE HEBDO].

 

Freedom of speech


Khiabany, Gholam and Williamson, Milly. “Free speech and the market state: Race, media and democracy in new liberal times.” Sage Publications, 2015, Vol. 30(5), pp. 571-586. [Peer Reviewed Journal] ISSN: 0267-3231 ; E-ISSN: 1460-3705 ; DOI: 10.1177/0267323115597855 

Alicino, Francesco. “Freedom of Expression, Laïcité and Islam in France: The Tension between Two Different (Universal) Perspectives.” Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations, 16 October 2015, p.1-25. [Peer Reviewed Journal] ISSN: 0959-6410 ; E-ISSN: 1469-9311 ; DOI: 10.1080/09596410.2015.1090105

Albu-Comanescu, Radu. "Je suis Charlie? Regândirea libertatii în Europa multiculturala [Je suis Charlie? Rethinking freedom in a multicultural Europe]." (Review) Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai. Studia Europaea, Vol.60(2), pp. 297-300. [Peer Reviewed Journal] Journal Studia Europaea. ISSN: 12248746 

Kowsar, Nik. "The Impact of a Post-Charlie Hebdo World on Cartoonists." Social Research, vol. 83, no. 1, Spring2016, pp. 7-19. [Peer Reviewed Journal]. ISSN: 0037-783X.

Alain  Mabanckou : “Les  écrivains  qui  boycottent  Charlie  légitiment  l’intolérance” entretien avec Nelly Kaprièlan, Les Inrockuptibles, 6 Mai 2015.