- Title: FRANCE-SHOOTING/SENEGAL Senegal bans Charlie Hebdo over Mohammad cartoon
- Date: 15th January 2015
- Summary: DAKAR, SENEGAL (JANUARY 15, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE READING NEWSPAPER WITH HEADLINE, READING (French): "MACKY SALL IS NOT CHARLIE, CHARLIE FORBIDDEN IN SENEGAL" / ANOTHER HEADLINE, READING (French): "CHARLIE BANNED IN SENEGAL. 'LE CANARD ENCHAINE' (THE CHAINED NEWSPAPER) MENACE" (SOUNDBITE) (French) STUDENT, ALIOU DIALLO, SAYING: "I think it is a paradox because the Head of State attended the march in France, so even if it's forbidden, the moment has already passed. The paper should come out and everyone should read it, because it's already out, and the French are reading it, so we should be able to read it so that we can form an opinion and take our decision. Either way, what we know is that it wouldn't change our beliefs, our faith remains intact." VEHICLES ON STREET PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET PEOPLE GETTING ON TO BUS DIRECTOR OF THE DAILY WALFADJRI L'AURORE, ABDOURAHMANE CAMARA, WALKING AND ENTERING HIS OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (French) DIRECTOR OF WALFADJRI L'AURORE, ABDOURAHMANE CAMARA, SAYING: "I believe that it is for the public to decide about Charlie Hebdo. It's up to them to determine what they want to buy and what they don't want to buy, what they want to read and what they don't want to read. It is not for the authorities to decide what they should read, so that is a bit shocking. But it's true that as a Muslim, the image of the Prophet Mohammed in caricatures revolts me." VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC AROUND MOSQUE, PEOPLE COMING OUT AFTER PRAYERS VARIOUS OF KHADIM MBACKE, AN ISLAMOLOGIST AND RESEARCHER STANDING BY BOOKCASE (SOUNDBITE) (French) UNIVERSITY RESEARCHER INTO ISLAM, KHADIM MBACKE, SAYING: "The opinion had already started to move on, and the discussions we had through the different media prepared the Muslim public opinion to react if Wednesday's Charlie Hebdo issue was going to be imported into Senegal, so I think the government did the right thing to forbid this issue, particularly as anyway not many people read this paper in Senegal." VARIOUS OF MAN HOLDING MUSLIM PRAYER BEADS WALKING ALONG STREET VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AND VEHICLES ON STREET
- Embargoed: 30th January 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Senegal
- Country: Senegal
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA7D7O5C3NF0BHXWFM9SL863OHG
- Story Text: The Charlie Hebdo weekly drew fresh anger in Senegal on Thursday (January 15) for its cartoons mocking Mohammed and his depiction again on its cover on Wednesday (January 14) that defenders praised as art but critics saw as a new provocation.
Millions of copies of the "survivors' edition" were printed, dwarfing the usual 60,000 print run. On its cover, a tearful Mohammad holds a "Je suis Charlie" sign under the words "All is forgiven."
Senegal however banned the publication, alongside the French daily "Liberation", prompting some Senegalese to criticise the move, given Senegalese President Macky Sall took part in the Paris march just days before.
"I think it is a paradox because the Head of State attended the march in France, so even if it's forbidden, the moment has already passed," said student Aliou Diallo. "The paper should come out and everyone should read it, because it's already out, and the French are reading it, so we should be able to read it so that we can form an opinion and take our decision. Either way, what we know is that it wouldn't change our beliefs, our faith remains intact."
Other people praised the cover for upholding the newspaper's satirical mission, proclaiming its right to free speech while maintaining a mournful tone and a peaceful message.
"I believe that it is for the public to decide about Charlie Hebdo," said the Director of Senegal's daily newspaper Walfadjri L'Aurore, Abdourahmane Camara. "It's up to them to determine what they want to buy and what they don't want to buy, what they want to read and what they don't want to read. It is not for the authorities to decide what they should read, so that is a bit shocking. But it's true that as a Muslim, the image of the Prophet Mohammed in caricatures revolts me."
The weekly was not widely available in Senegal but could be found at some news stands. Several religious leaders spoke against the cartoons, though censorship of the press is rare.
"The opinion had already started to move on, and the discussions we had through the different media prepared the Muslim public opinion to react if Wednesday's Charlie Hebdo issue was going to be imported into Senegal, so I think the government did the right thing to forbid this issue, particularly as anyway not many people read this paper in Senegal," said Khadim Mbacke, a university researcher into Islam.
While many French people enthusiastically supported the weekly's decision to put another cartoon of Mohammad on its cover, some expressed concern that it would provoke more tension. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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