French soldiers stand guard beneath the Eiffel Tower as the events unfold. Photo: Reuters

The Prime Minister and Opposition leader yesterday joined international leaders and organisations, condemning the attack on the office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, apparently carried out by militant Islamists.

Hooded gunmen stormed the Paris offices of the weekly publication killing four of its well-known cartoonists, including its editor Stephane Charbonnier, aged 47, two policemen and six other people.

Charlie Hebdo is well known for courting controversy with satirical attacks on political and religious leaders. It was firebombed in November 2011, a day after it carried a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad.

A recent tweet on its account mocked Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the militant Islamic State, which has taken control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria.

People had been “murdered in a cowardly manner”, French President Hollande told reporters at the scene.

“We are threatened because we are a country of liberty,” he added.

We are threatened because we are a country of liberty

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Malta stood with the French people in defending freedom of speech and democracy: “People of goodwill, irrespective of their origin, race and religion, will surely unite around these principles. Today, we are all French.”

Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella conveyed his support to French authorities in trying to bring those responsible to justice and expressed his solidarity with the families of those killed.

PN leader Simon Busuttil said on Twitter that the terror attack was “sickening”. “We stand united with France and will keep fighting against terrorism and for freedom of speech,” he said.

‘Chilling assault on freedom of speech’

The French embassy in Malta expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and said this was an attack on freedom of expression. Frederic Depetris told Times of Malta the magazine has a special place in the heart of many French people because of its free-thinking and free-speaking editorial stand.

He said the police had been protecting the people targeted but unfortunately their efforts were not enough to prevent the attack.

“France strongly condemns the attack... Our first reaction is to express our condolences for the families of those killed, our solidarity with those wounded and Charlie Hebdo staff. We reaffirm our determination to fight terrorism and to protect freedom of expression as one of our core values, as a nation and democracy.”

The magazine’s editor had repeatedly defended the right to freedom of expression. In an interview with French newspaper Le Monde in 2012 following the controversy surrounding the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, Mr Charbonnier said: “I’d rather die standing than live on my knees.”

I’d rather die standing than live on my knees- Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier

Former ambassador to Malta Vicki Ann Cremona said these attacks had nothing to do with religion. “Even though these people are acting in the name of religion there is no religious basis to this. This is about power and domination, about wanting to subvert a situation with violence...

People hold placards with pictures of victims in front of the Brandenburg Gate near the French embassy at Pariser Platz in Berlin yesterday. Photo: Reuters

“These people kill in a very spectacular way. It’s very dramatic. The beheadings [by the Islamic State] are deliberately made to shock, horrify and generate fear, and by that coercion. This shooting of 12 people has the same aim,” Prof. Cremona said.

Meanwhile Twitter and other social media outlets were flooded with messages of support, with #CharlieHebdo topping the trending list, and posts with Je Suis Charlie (I am Charlie).

Statements from local and international leaders and institutions continued to pour in throughout the day condemning the attack.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Malta categorically condemned the attack.

“These terrorists and extremists have hijacked the religion of Islam, the religion of peace, for their personal agenda and interests through committing vicious atrocities. In reality, Islam does not approve of disorder in any form,” it said last night.

The Institute of Maltese journalists appealed for journalists to be allowed to do their job freely.

Amnesty International said the attack was a “chilling assault on freedom of expression and a vibrant press culture”.