Charlie Hebdo criticised for cartoon 'mocking drowned Syrian boy'

France’s Charlie Hebdo magazine is courting controversy again – this time with cartoons on migrants. One drawing plays on the harrowing photo of Aylan Kurdi, the drowned Syrian child whose body washed up on a beach in Turkey after a failed attempt to cross by boat with his family to Greece. It shows a toddler in shorts and a T-shirt face-down on the shoreline beside an advertising billboard that offers two children’s meal menus for the price of one. “So close to making it…” the caption says. #CharlieHebdo Welcome to the migrants, so close to the goal…promotional offer: kids menu 2 for the price of 1" pic.twitter.com/LjqTUnBVAZ— Abu Basim (@islamaideology) September 12, 2015 Another cartoon has a caption: “Proof that Europe is Christian”. It shows a Jesus-like figure walking on water, saying “Christians walk on water”. Alongside him a smaller figure wearing shorts is up-ended in the water, saying: “Muslim children sink”. Charlie Hebdo's new cover "Proof that Europe is Christian – Christians walk on water – Muslim kids drown" speechless pic.twitter.com/xsbZ5fjwNz— Rim (@SimplyRim) September 13, 2015 So is this racist, hateful and inappropriate as some suggest or a savage indictment of Europe’s failings towards migrants? (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));Stinging criticism of Europe's attitude to refugees or an unacceptable use of humour. Which does this cartoon represent for you?Posted by euronews on Tuesday, 15 September 2015 Views were mixed on the streets of the French capital. Parisian Jean-Gibert Kutarba said: “Whether it is Charlie Hebdo or anything else, you can’t joke about it, especially on this topic. It is just too much.” Not everyone agrees. “I have got fairly mixed feelings,” said Zineb Khalfallah. “I understand perfectly Charlie Hebdo’s sense of humour and I know that many French people don’t understand this humour. In my view, it should not be taken literally. It is mocking the European authorities for allowing such horrors.” (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));Shameless tasteless and beyond horrific mockery of a poor little Syrian toddler. Its one thing to speak and uphold the truth but to hide behind the cowardly veil of comedy…is just beyond pathetic.Posted by Miriam Chung-Babbitt on Monday, 14 September 2015 The satirical magazine became a symbol of freedom of speech after it was the target of a deadly attack by Islamist militants in January for publishing cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammad. Nonetheless, some asked then. Others are asking now. Has Charlie Hebdo overstepped the mark?

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