An editor at the British newspaper the Financial Times wrote on Wednesday that the cartoonists who were murdered by gunmen at the offices of satirical paper Charlie Hebdo had a history of being “stupid” by “baiting” Muslims.
“Charlie Hebdo has a long record of mocking, baiting and needling French Muslims,” wrote the paper’s Europe editor, Tony Barber, in a piece published just hours after 12 people were killed at the satirical newspaper’s offices.
He went on to accuse the paper of “foolishness,” but paused to note he was not excusing or minimizing the loss of life.
“This is not in the slightest to condone the murderers, who must be caught and punished, or to suggest that freedom of expression should not extend to satirical portrayals of religion,” the post read.
“It is merely to say that some common sense would be useful at publications such as Charlie Hebdo, and Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten, which purport to strike a blow for freedom when they provoke Muslims, but are actually just being stupid,” Barber continued.
Jyllands-Posten is a Danish newspaper that received threats and sparked protests published several cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in 2005.
h/t HuffPo
