Iran bans newspaper over article on Charlie Hebdo

E-Paper | July 16, 2026

TEHRAN: Iran's judicial authorities have banned a newspaper for publishing a front-page headline allegedly indicating support for French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.

Mohammad Ghoochani, chief editor of the daily Mardom-e-Emrooz, or Today's People, is quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency as saying his paper has been ordered closed for publishing a front-page story on the French magazine controversy.

The article's headline on Tuesday quoted filmmaker and activist George Clooney as saying “I am Charlie Hebdo”.

Iran has condemned both the magazine's publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and the deadly assault on the magazine's Paris office by extremists who killed 12 people.

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Bakhshi Kanth

Jan 17, 2015 10:33pm

If banning publications saves lives then DO IT. Remember Aretha Franklin's song - R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

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Bakhshi Kanth

Jan 17, 2015 10:36pm

Respect as described in Urban dictionary. It means valuing each others points of views. It means being open to being wrong. It means accepting people as they are. It means not dumping on someone because you're having a bad day. It means being polite and kind always, because being kind to people is not negotiable. It means not dissing people because they're different to you. It means not gossiping about people or spreading lies. We are lacking respect for each other.

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Ali Hassan

Jan 17, 2015 10:49pm

Well done Iran. You always stand against evil.

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Caren Khalid

Jan 17, 2015 11:02pm

Great Act the one who publish cartoon and the one who is promoting those gangsters are the same. They need the same treatment our policy makers should learn the lesson from this

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hyder2k6

Jan 17, 2015 11:07pm

This is the right approach. both acts are condembable. Insulting Holy Prophet can never be allowed in the name of freedom of speech.

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AXH

Jan 17, 2015 11:35pm

@Bakhshi Kanth - It needs to be both way and not always a one-way traffic. I have seen those cartoons and I can tell you how offensive they. It is not just the depiction of our Prophet (PBUH) as a cartoon figure, it is the way it is presented. What do you think would happen if someone publishes material that makes fun of holocaust? Do you think that it will get unnoticed?

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hyat

Jan 17, 2015 11:45pm

very nice.

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Jamal

Jan 17, 2015 11:45pm

If only they had learnt from the very object of their love and respect, Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, the people protesting Charlie Hebdo with violence would have learned what a dignified response should be from followers of the prophet. I know that the prophet's response would have silenced his detractors and calmed his partisans down. He would never have allowed people to engage in violent protests but would have won his opponents over with his forbearance and gentleness! So goes for the misguided people targeting religious minorities.

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Riaz

Jan 18, 2015 12:21am

A brave step; well done Iran.

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Riaz

Jan 18, 2015 12:25am

@Bakhshi Kanth There is a difference in respecting views about self and views about religion. If west is so much in favour of unlimited freedom of expression then why no one can talk about holocaust? Is it selective freedom of expression. Sir, You are talking about saving lives; we are talking about saving souls.

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Riaz

Jan 18, 2015 12:28am

@Jamal Agreed; both are wrong.

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kumail

Jan 18, 2015 12:53am

Iran should be more careful. Prevention better then cure. This newspaper with wrong ideology should not be allowed again

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Chi ben

Jan 18, 2015 12:59am

@Ali Hassan , Banning a newspaper is absolutely unacceptable. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Build peoples' opinion and they can, if they want, close any business by not buying their product, their paper and space in their paper. Nobody forces anybody to buy a product, Peoples have a choice, an informed choice. You can kill a paper, not an idea. It takes sacrifice of a seed (that goes under earth) to germinated thousand mores for years to come, and some of them in perpetuity. NEVER ever shall freedom of speech and freedom of religion/faith shall be curtailed, under no circumstance.

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Chi ben

Jan 18, 2015 01:01am

@Caren Khalid I read more and forward to all my friends. No amount of intimidation will stop the good to win over evil.

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Chi ben

Jan 18, 2015 01:02am

@Jamal , A good advice, but are you Mr. Jamal right on what the response would have been in 7th century?

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Akram

Jan 18, 2015 01:12am

@AXH "What do you think would happen if someone publishes material that makes fun of holocaust?" Holocaust?......what holocaust?

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Jenny

Jan 18, 2015 01:46am

@Jamal : Dear Sir, All those virtues you have mentioned does not exist in muslim community at all. I have travelled to Saudi Arabia, Iran ,and many other muslim countries, I only found extreme radicals.

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Pakistani

Jan 18, 2015 02:16am

Well i don't say both are wrong. The one who took the first step to create an issue out of no where is basically wrong. Once you drop stone in a lake to create waves, waves are reaction to your Action. Can't blame waves why they are there. So we need to identify the root cause. Hate speech and disrespecting each others beliefs will not bring an order to world. Yes it can yield terrorism and hatered in the world.

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Sumit Mazumdar

Jan 18, 2015 02:21am

@Riaz Denial of holocaust and drawing cartoons are simply not the same, does not matter how many times Muslims make this particular analogy. The French courts have discussed this issue, explicitly. The latter - message from a cartoon - can offend but noone takes it seriously. It does not give ammunition or reason to any nonMuslim to hurt Muslims. On the other hand denial of holocaust gives antisemites the reason to hate and even hurt Jews. Thus denial of holocaust is hate speech. Drawing of cartoons shows poor taste and insensivity. Poor taste and insensivity cannot be called crime.

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jus

Jan 18, 2015 03:31am

@AXH what do u know of holocaust? Ah it wasnt in the 6th century. ...wakeup n smell the coffee

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abdullahi

Jan 18, 2015 03:52am

we need to take taugh sanction against france products

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Naeem sajjad

Jan 18, 2015 03:55am

Dawn!the picture of the protesters in favour of charlie hebdo is offensive to the muslims.You had better published image of the demonstrators against it.

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Naeem sajjad

Jan 18, 2015 04:01am

Well done!But it is a piece of cake to suspend a medium.The real valour is to raise the matter at the international level with full vehemence.

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Human55

Jan 18, 2015 05:18am

@AXH Agreed. But does it justify killing?

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hyderabadi

Jan 18, 2015 06:09am

This is satrical magazine they do all the things which they got humor, they r not particular for one religion they take humor out of every religion, region and person

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Reformist

Jan 18, 2015 07:01am

May be depicting the prophet in the way they have is because of us, because of our acts as we represent his teaching. There is some default in us which demonstrates those characteristics shown through the cartoons. May be it is a mirror for us to look and see our own filthy face, our demoralized morals, our dehumanized acts, our unethical approaches, our reaction to the world's progress, our oppression, our intolerant attitude and so on. May be it has nothing to do with our beloved prophet.

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dawn

Jan 18, 2015 07:58am

@Bakhshi Kanth -sorry you are way off topic.

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Sieg Heil

Jan 18, 2015 07:59am

@AXH Saying "Heil Sieg" is banned not only inGermany but in France too. So much with the freedom.

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dawn

Jan 18, 2015 08:02am

Thank you very much Iran. You have shown the due respect to our holy prophet (pbuh) by banning this paper. Thank you.

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concerned_Cit

Jan 18, 2015 08:31am

Well done Iran. You have utmost respect in my books now.

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Rizwan

Jan 18, 2015 09:26am

@Bakhshi Kanth to let you know ,how much harsh and infuriating those cartoons are in the name of free speech ,i don't have soft words but realize.stop supporting adroit minded people.

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