Charlie Hebdo's jihadist tragedy turns into fame, wealth and anxiety

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Charlie Hebdo's jihadist tragedy turns into fame, wealth and anxiety
Catherine Armitage

SYDNEY: -- Within a few months, tragedy has transformed Charlie Hebdo from a little-known, struggling satirical newspaper into a renowned brand name swimming in cash.

Since two jihadist killers murdered a dozen people at the leftist weekly magazine's offices on January 7 in retribution for the publication of images mocking the prophet Muhammad, the finances of Charlie Hebdo have been transformed.

The cash pile is reportedly as high as $US33 million ($45 million), but management puts it at $US18 million, Vanity Fair reports.

Subscriptions have multiplied from about 10,000 to 20 times that number, and donations from Google, the French government and sympathisers around the world have poured in. Eight million copies of the post-massacre edition were sold, an increase of 13,000 per cent on previous sales.

But what is an anti-capitalist publication to do with such wealth in a culture where money is a dirty word and the President gained office by declaring war on the world of finance?

Or, as the surviving staff asked in a manifesto published in the daily Le Monde: "How are we to escape the poison of the millions that, through exceptional sales and also donations and subscriptions, have fallen into the pockets of Charlie?"

Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/world/charlie-hebdos-jihadist-tragedy-turns-into-fame-wealth-and-anxiety-20150804-gir5vn.html


-- The Age 2015-08-04

[Lissos]

"How are we to escape the poison of the millions that, through exceptional sales and also donations and subscriptions, have fallen into the pockets of Charlie?"

Lacking in imagination if you ask me. Various organisations in the west are working towards educating the public about Islamic doctrine and its history, countering the assault of dawah and historical revision / romanticisation that is saturating our universities, reshaping our societys and politics.

Such organisations could do with the money.

[JemJem]

Have you known about this, folks ? http://www.france24.com/en/20150721-charlie-hebdo-editor-no-more-prophet-mohammed-cartoons

Not a great piece of news. It seems they will tread a careful line from now on.

Then again, sadly, this is understandable, in the face of never-ceasing Islamist threats.

[ABCer]

I do not like and do not accept leftism or rightism in any form.

I do believe the left and right must be free to express their ideas.

I think caricatures of Muhammad they published were allowed.

I understand that caricatures were perceived as insult by Muslims.

I think that killings were criminal and counter-productive for Islam. $33M is the proof.

I think Muslims must stop being oversensitive and behave like capricious little children.

I think that non-Muslims are responsible for existing problems in Europe and will answer for this.

Since every statement above starts with "I" - it is covered by "IMHO".

You can and may think differently.

[ABCer]

http://www.france24....hammed-cartoons

French!

Never really Capitalistic.

Never really Religious.

Never really Liberal.

Never really Democratic.

Always easily Capitulistic.

It is sad that 12 people died for $33M and change of Management in Hebdo. Shame!