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Stephen Fry calls on the world's media to defiantly publish Charlie Hebdo cartoons

British actor issued this response to the terror attacks in Paris

Jenn Selby
Thursday 08 January 2015 15:32 GMT
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Stephen Fry on Charlie Hebdo

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Stephen Fry urged publishers around the world to unite in a show of defiance against those who committed the terror attack on satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo that left 10 journalists dead.

Among those who perished in the shooting at the offices in Paris were four of France’s best loved political cartoonists: Jeaabu, Stephane “Charb” Charbonnier, Bernard “Tignous” Verlhac and Bernard Maris.

The British actor tweeted the following in response:

His call echoed that of author Salman Rushdie, who branded the attack by suspected Islamic militants a sign of the “deadly mutation in the heart of Islam”.

“I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity,” he wrote.

Private Eye editor Ian Hislop said that “very little seems funny” in the wake of the tragedy.

Barack Obama, David Cameron and Angela Merkel have all vowed to stand up for freedom of expression.

Charlie Hebdo was firebombed in 2011 after they published a spoof issue “guest edited” by the Prophet Mohamed.

The magazine has been threatened on numerous occasions for publishing the religious cartoon caricatures.

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