Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) called it “unfortunate” that some media outlets would censor some of the more controversial cartoons published by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Cruz’s comments came in the aftermath of a horrific shooting in the offices of the magazine where three gunman opened fire killing at least 12 people, including the magazine’s editor, a cartoonist for the publication and a pair of police officers.
“The First Amendment is designed to ensure a robust debate and refusing to publish the cartoons that are the alleged reason for this brutal act of murder and terror is inconsistent with the spirit of free debate,” Cruz said Wednesday according to Buzzfeed.
The magazine often lampooned the Catholic church, French politicians, and Islam. It had received threats from al-Qaeda for publishing cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
Cruz called the attack “heartbreaking.” Some news outlets have blurred or cropped some of the cartoons.
“It is a reminder of the global threat we face and the enormous peril presented by radical Islamic terrorists,” Cruz said. “It is unfortunate to see media outlets engaging in censorship.”
This post has been updated.
