For the latest in the long series of isolated Muslim-related bombings, here’s the NYT:
PARIS — The office of a French satirical magazine here was badly damaged by a firebomb early on Wednesday, the publisher said, after it published a spoof issue “guest edited” by the Prophet Muhammad to salute the victory of an Islamist party in Tunisian elections. The publication also said hackers had disrupted its Web site.
The magazine, Charlie Hebdo, had announced a special issue for publication Wednesday, renamed “Charia Hebdo,” a play on the word in French for Shariah law.
The magazine’s editor, Stephane Charbonnier, told Europe 1 radio that the police had called just before 5 a.m. to report a fire of criminal origin. News reports said a Molotov cocktail had been thrown through a window. The special edition was on its way to the newsstands, the editor said, and will appear as scheduled.
But, he added: “We are homeless and we have no way to put out the magazine. We hope this won’t be the last issue.”
In all fairness, as yet there’s no proof the culprit or culprits are Muslim. It could be anyone who’s irritated by French attempts at humor, which narrows it down to most of the population of the planet. And it could be a coincidence that it happened right as they were putting out a special issue goofing on Islam. The burden of proof is variable, depending on whether the suspects might be part of a designated victim group. Adjust your blinders accordingly.
P.S. You know who’s just fine with firebombing publications that offend you? Time magazine.