My suspicion is that CH is attempting to show that even a certifiably accurate history of Islam will cause violent reactions by Muslims if it falls into the Islamic definition of ‘slander’, meaning, ‘may or may not be true but does not depict Islam or it’s founder in the best possible light to infidels’.

Original Translation by Hermes (With many thanks)

From RTL.FR

Charlie Hebdo staff and cover

Charlie Hebdo will publish a “halal” biography of Mohammed

Charlie Hebdo does it again. The newspaper will publish a special edition on Wednesday with the title “The Life of Muhammad”, a “perfectly halal” cartoon biography made up from texts of Muslim chroniclers. It was Charb, the editor of the weekly satirical magazine, who communicated this on Sunday to AFP. But the newspaper’s management promised that this time the tone will not be provocative.

“Neither a cartoon nor a satire”

It will not be a cartoon nor a satire, but a detailed account taken from serious bibliographical sources. This fact is certified in a foreword by “Zineb”, a Franco-Moroccan sociologist of religions and co-author of this publication.

“This is a biography authorized by Islam since it was written by Muslims. It is a compilation of what was written about the life of Muhammad by Muslim chroniclers and it has simply been drawn in pictures “, Charb added, rejecting that he would be engaging in provocation. “I do not think that (even) the most learned Muslims will find anything substantial to complain about,” says Charb, whose magazine caused stirs several times after publishing Mohammed cartoons.

As for criticism that will surely be voiced regarding the fact that depicting the prophet is blasphemous, Charb replies that “it’s just the tradition, it is absolutely not found in the Qur’an. Insofar as Mohammed is not ridiculed, I do not see why one could not read this publication as one read the stories of the life of Jesus in the Catechism.”

“Muslims are willing to laugh at themselves”

In November 2011, after the publication of a special issue of the magazine named “Sharia Hebdo” which containing caricatures of Muhammad, the headquarters of the satirical newspaper were burned, its website hacked, and Charb received death threats. Since then, he lives under police protection. More recently, new cartoons published by the magazine Charlie Hebdo had sparked strong criticism by part of many Muslim countries to the point that the French government had to take steps.

Although this time the approach is quite different, Charb expects that he will not please everyone. “If people want to be shocked, they will be shocked, but this will not be done in order to shock. Muslims are also willing to laugh at themselves. If we begin to think of them as people handicapped in their capacity to laugh , then one cannot link them with a peaceful Islam, but with an extreme one. One should stop being being afraid of Islam, (because) the more you fear Islam, the more scary Islam will be “, he says. He thinks that “it would be a good idea to bring it to the schools, even Muslim children can read it in that they accept that Muhammad is represented (in the cartoons)”.