| CARTOON WARS A cartoon presentation delivered by Terry Mosher to The Ottawa Press Club on the occasion of World Press Freedom day Ottawa -- May 3, 2006 |
However, this societal trait isn’t universal.
A Rick Mercer could never exist, doing what he does, in, say, Iraq or Pakistan or
Palestine.
It’s not that those countries don’t have a strong tradition of humour and
cartooning. They do - but it is humour at the expense of their perceived enemies
as opposed to the internal powers-that-be.
Here is a current popular cartoonist who works under the name of Omayya. Her
work appears in the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds and she is famous for her
attacks on Israel, as here…
A Rick Mercer could never exist, doing what he does, in, say, Iraq or Pakistan or
Palestine.
It’s not that those countries don’t have a strong tradition of humour and
cartooning. They do - but it is humour at the expense of their perceived enemies
as opposed to the internal powers-that-be.
Here is a current popular cartoonist who works under the name of Omayya. Her
work appears in the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds and she is famous for her
attacks on Israel, as here…
…with Ariel Sharon gobbling up Palestinians.
Another shows Sharon as a murderer backed by the United States.
Another shows Sharon as a murderer backed by the United States.
There’s a great deal of urban myth around how this whole thing got started.
What really happened - in a nutshell - is that in September 2005, a Danish
children’s writer couldn’t find anyone willing to illustrate a book on the life
of Mohammed. Concerned about the apparent self-censorship being exercised by
creative people when it came to all things Muslim, Denmark’s largest
newspaper wrote to forty cartoonists asking them to draw Mohammed as they
saw him. Not surprisingly, only twelve individuals actually responded – and, in
my opinion, timidly at that.
Nevertheless, as has been widely reported, many Muslims were angered at these
cartoons. Danish products have been boycotted, embassies burned, churches
destroyed and hundreds have died in different Muslim countries.
What really happened - in a nutshell - is that in September 2005, a Danish
children’s writer couldn’t find anyone willing to illustrate a book on the life
of Mohammed. Concerned about the apparent self-censorship being exercised by
creative people when it came to all things Muslim, Denmark’s largest
newspaper wrote to forty cartoonists asking them to draw Mohammed as they
saw him. Not surprisingly, only twelve individuals actually responded – and, in
my opinion, timidly at that.
Nevertheless, as has been widely reported, many Muslims were angered at these
cartoons. Danish products have been boycotted, embassies burned, churches
destroyed and hundreds have died in different Muslim countries.
This overblown reaction was partly the result of orchestrated mischief by certain
Islamist leaders – or so wrote eleven Canadian Muslim academic and activists
in The Toronto Star.
Islamist leaders – or so wrote eleven Canadian Muslim academic and activists
in The Toronto Star.
These are strong pieces of work that are repulsive to some.
But no one argues about the freedom to express such opinions through the
printing of these cartoons.
They are quite typical of what is to be found in the Muslim press.
Indeed, I downloaded these from the Al-Jazeera web site.
However, if you were to look for caricatures that were in any way critical of
leaders in the Muslim world, you’d be in for a very long search.
This brings us to the current brouhaha over the twelve Danish cartoons of
Mohammed – the dirty dozen, if you will.
But no one argues about the freedom to express such opinions through the
printing of these cartoons.
They are quite typical of what is to be found in the Muslim press.
Indeed, I downloaded these from the Al-Jazeera web site.
However, if you were to look for caricatures that were in any way critical of
leaders in the Muslim world, you’d be in for a very long search.
This brings us to the current brouhaha over the twelve Danish cartoons of
Mohammed – the dirty dozen, if you will.