2015 ICORN Lecture by Zineb El Rhazoui

In January 2015, the world was shocked by the terror attack against the French satirical Magazine Charlie Hebdo, which killed 12 people. 11 of them were El Rhazoui’s colleagues. She escaped the attack as she was on holiday in her home country Morocco. She soon after became a voice for the survivors in the international media, and a central character in the restitution of Charlie Hebdo. 

Zineb El Rhazoui has since received thousands of death threats from ISIS supporters, and is under constant police protection. Still she is determined to continue her fight for freedom of speech, and her work as columnist and journalist for Charlie Hebdo.

At the ICORN-lecture El Rhazoui speaks about her public role in the aftermath of the tragedy in Paris, about living with the risks that her profession poses, and freedom of expression in contemporary society. Earlier the same day, she will discuss the limits and costs of freedom of speech with Mille Rhode from Danish PEN and Elisabeth Dyvik, Programme Director in ICORN.

Zineb El Rhazoui

Zineb El Rhazoui is a Moroccan-born French journalist and human rights activist. With a degree in Sociology of Religion, she has published several articles on religious minorities and the Marabout cult in Le Journal Hebdomadaire, a pioneer of the independent press in Morocco, banned by the regime in January 2010.

She co-founded the pro-democracy, pro-secularism movement MALI before joining Charlie Hebdo in 2011. After a series of threats, police intimidations, and arrests by the Moroccan Governement, she went into exile in Slovenia.

El Rhazoui was ICORN guest writer in the city of Ljubljana from 2011-2013, where she co-authored the comic book "The Life of Mohamed" with Charb, the editor of Charlie Hebdo, Stéphane Charbonnier, who was killed in the attack against the magazine.

“We consider it our task to protect and promote all ICORN writers and artists who are or have been connected to the organisation. We are happy that Zineb has taken the challenge to give this year’s ICORN speech at Kapittel 15,”

says ICORN Executive Director Helge Lunde.

ICORN at Kapittel - International Festival for Literature and Freedom of Speech 2015

ICORN and many guest writers participate in several of the events at the Kapittel festival in Stavanger, Norway, which runs from 16-20 September 2015. 

Wednesday 12:00: Out of Syria

The war in Syria has caused millions to flee the country. Writers and journalists are among the most exposed victims. Meet Stavangers new ICORN guest writer, Mohammad Habeeb. He was arrested by the Assad regime and spent nine years in prison for his engagement in democracy and human rights.

Thursday 18:00: Buried alive to survive

A discussion of the difficult situation of womens rights in parts of Latin America. Panel with among others, writer Jennifer Clement, Patricia Kaatee from Amnesty and ICORN guest writer Lety Elvir, poet from Honduras. 

Friday 13:00: The Price of Speech / Ytringers pris

Zineb El Rhazoui from Charlie Hebdo, Mille Rode from Danish PEN and ICORN's Elisabeth Dyvik speaks about the consequences of free speech after the attacks on journalists and artists in Paris and Copenhagen this year. 

Friday 18:00 Readings in Fargegata/Fribar

Free readings in Øvre Holmegate, with among others Steve Sem-Sandberg, Janne Stigen Drangsholt and Teju Cole, and ICORN guest writers.

Friday 20:00: ICORN-lecture: After Charlie - Is it still worth it?

Zineb El Rhazoui speaks about her public role in the aftermath of the tragedy in Paris, and about living with the risks her profession now poses. 

Saturday 21:00: Readings in Fargegata

Among the participants are Erlend Loe, Hilde Kvalvaag, Øyvind Rimbereid and ICORN guest writers, Ashur Etwebi, Manal Al-Sheikh, Sahar Bayati and Dessale Berekhet.