The latest issue of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo sold out just hours after hitting the stands. The magazine has a usual weekly run of 60,000, but after last week's attacks on the office, the survivors decided to go with a run of 3 million copies; yesterday, the magazine bumped it up to 5 million. There are even copies popping up on eBay.
Although the magazine's previous anti-Islamic cartoons were what sparked the attack, specifically images of the prophet Muhammad, the magazine dug its heels in and put Muhammed on its cover yet again, this time crying and holding a sign that reads "Je Suis Charlie" ("I Am Charlie"), as per the hashtag that took over twitter to show solidarity with the murdered journalists. "Tout Est Pardonné" ("All Is Forgiven") is written banner-style just below the magazine's name.
While proponents of free speech are praising the magazine's defiance, the move has angered plenty of others. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters, "We believe that sanctities need to be respected and unless we learn to respect one another it will be very difficult in a world of different views and different cultures and civilizations…We won't be able to engage in a serious dialogue if we start disrespecting each other's values and sanctities." Similarly, a number of outlets in the Middle East, from Jordan to Algeria, are critical of Charlie Hebdo's decision to publish the cover, and those who funded it — including the French government.
Meanwhile, anti-Islam attacks are on the rise in France. According to The Independent, "France's National Observatory Against Islamophobia reports that since last Wednesday a total of 60 Islamophobic incidents have been recorded, with countless minor encounters believed to have gone unreported." (The Independent)