French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo returned to newsstands with a record run on Wednesday, but its first edition since Islamist gunmen massacred its staff has already drawn the ire of Muslim groups.

The weekly sold out within minutes at newspaper kiosks around France on Wednesday, with people queuing up to buy copies.

"I've never bought it before, it's not quite my political stripes, but it's important for me to buy it today to support freedom of expression," said David Sullo, standing at the end of a queue of two dozen people at a kiosk in central Paris.

A print run of up to 3 million copies has been set for what has been called "the survivors' edition," dwarfing the usual 60,000 run. But still, many outlets were selling out fast.

The distributors said the weekly will print 5 million copies with overwhelming demand.

Seventeen people died in Paris in three days of violence that began with the attack by two Islamist gunmen on the offices of Charlie Hebdo on January 7.

The front page of Charlie Hebdo's January 14 edition shows a cartoon of a tearful Muhammad with a sign "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) below the headline: "Tout est pardonné" (All is forgiven).

Inside the edition, the weekly's usual irreverent humor was on display. One cartoon shows jihadists saying, "We shouldn't touch Charlie people ... otherwise they will look like martyrs and, once in heaven, these bastards will steal our virgins."

All proceeds from the sale of this week's edition will go directly to Charlie Hebdo, in a windfall for a publication that had been struggling financially, after distributors decided to waive their cut. A call for donations has also been aired on national media.

The cartoons have irked many terror groups.

Al Qaeda in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack on Charlie Hebdo in a video posted online Wednesday, saying it was "vengeance" for the French weekly's cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Islamic State group's radio on Wednesday described Charlie Hebdo's publication of Muhammad as an "extremely stupid" act.

Muslim groups around the world warned that the cartoons could inflame tensions among those who believe the depiction of the prophet is blasphemous.

Iran condemned Wednesday the new cover by Charlie Hebdo, saying it was "insulting" and "provocative."

A Turkish court on Wednesday decided to block access to websites featuring the latest cover of Charlie Hebdo, state-run news agency Anatolia reported.

Leading Islamic authority Al-Azhar denounced the new edition but called on Muslims to ignore it.

"The stature of the prophet of mercy and humanitarianism is greater and more lofty than to be harmed by cartoons that are unrestrained by decency and civilized standards," it said.

Egypt's state-sponsored Islamic authority, Dar al-Ifta, said the cover was "an unjustified provocation against the feelings of 1.5 billion Muslims."

Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Mohammed Hussein condemned the new cover as an "insult."

French Muslim groups urged their communities to "stay calm and avoid emotive reactions" to the cartoon.

Underlining the ongoing threat, France's biggest satirical weekly, "Le Canard Enchaine," said it received a death threat the day after the Charlie Hebdo attack.

Meanwhile, over 50 cases had been opened for "condoning terrorism" since Islamist attacks in Paris as French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira asked prosecutors on Wednesday to take tough action against those who condone terrorism and carry out anti-Semitic or racist acts.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled meet with French President Francois Hollande on Friday to discuss the attacks.

The White House voiced alarm Tuesday at a surge in anti-Semitism in Europe and in France.