January 13, 2015
Local and national book and magazine sellers say it will be difficult to find a copy of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical French magazine that was the victim of a recent terrorist attack by Islamic extremist that left 12 people dead. The magazine, which normally publishes roughly 60,000 copies, is reportedly publishing 3 million with a drawing of the prophet Mohammed on the cover.
A Barnes and Noble spokesperson said that the company had not traditionally carried the magazine and will not change its policy for the new issue.
An employee at Avril 50, a University City store that specializes in international publications, said that it was looking into getting some copies.
“We are trying to get it, I don’t know if we are going to be able to or not,” said an individual who answered the phone at the store at 3406 Sansom St. The individual declined to provide his name.
A subscription to the magazine is available on Amazon for about $180 a year - it’s unclear if that would include the upcoming edition, slated for release Wednesday - and the Avril 50 employee said that if the magazine does come in, it will likely be announced on the store’s Facebook page.
The magazine has been criticized for the way it depicts politicians and people of a variety of faiths, including Islam. In its upcoming issue, it is revisiting a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, which is deeply offensive to most in the Islamic community. Past depictions of the prophet, which is forbidden by the religion, are thought to have motivated the attackers who killed many of the magazine’s staffers and set off a renewed fear of terrorism in France.
According to French news agency Agence France-Presse, an English translation of the French magazine will be available in digital form.
