According to last Monday’s Al-Ghad (sorry no link available), a Jordanian cartoonist, Omar Abdallat, won one of the prizes of the Iranian competition soliciting cartoons about the Holocaust.
Are we supposed to be proud?
In my opinion, It is difficult to imagine a more primitive and misguided response to the prophet Muhammad cartoons than that of the Iranian newspaper Hamshahri, which held a cartoon competition about the Holocaust, supposedly to test the limits of western freedom of speech.
There is no denying that the publishing of the Prophet cartoons was misguided, or even malicious. In other words it was a very dumb thing to do. But the response of the Iranian newspaper just showed how misguided the response for the Islamic world can be.
What was the message the Iranian paper was trying to send? When I researched this online a bit, I found a confusing situation. On one hand the organizers are saying they want to confront Western taboos. Then some of them come out with statements saying the Holocaust was a myth.
What came across as a message to western audiences was: You mock our prophet who is a holy symbol for us, so we’ll mock your ‘holy’ Holocaust?
Or did the organizers expect the the ‘West’ to get really angry and ask for the beheading of the winning cartoonists?
As the competition was being held, the editor of Hamshahri tried to explain its purpose (source: Wikipedia):
“the purpose of establishing such a competition is not to offend or ridicule anyone, but to do a discussion about the realities of the Holocaust.” He also indicated that Hamshahri tries really hard not to cause pain for anyone and also added that the newspaper has no contention with the Jews in Iran or any other place, but that it has problems with Zionism.
Anyway..
The competition came and went. No one in the ‘West’ burned any Iranian embassies. Some western newspapers reprinted the winning cartoon (see the New York Sun for example). An Israeli artist actually went ahead and started yet another competition and solicited anti-Semitic cartoons himself, just to one-up the Iranians!
There goes the ‘test of limits of freedom of speech’. Apparently, in the West, there IS freedom of speech. What a discovery!
The winner of the contest was the Moroccan cartoonist Derkaoui (his cartoon above). What’s interesting is that, although he won, he does not deny the Holocaust. He had the following to say in a statement:
As you know, I won first place in the Iran cartoon contest which had the theme: “Why do the Palestinian people pay the price of butchery for the Holocaust?”
I took part in this contest to express my support for the Palestinian people and I did a drawing showing the Israeli wall isolating the Palestinian territories being lifted by an Israeli war machine; I added a photograph to the wall showing the Auschwitz concentration camp.
I want to express my total heartfelt sympathy with the millions of Jewish victims of the Holocaust who suffered the greatest crime against humanity under the Nazis. Nobody can deny that more than six million people were massacred during the second world war by the devil Hitler and his Nazi henchmen. But the question for me and for so many others is why the Palestinian people have suffered from so much pain, and massacres, and why they continue to suffer in the current situation.
As a citizen of Morocco it is my deepest conviction that Jews are my brothers; Jews have lived with us in peace and tolerance as fellow citizens in Morocco for 2000 years. I remember that in World War II, Morocco did not cooperate with the Vichy government of France when the King of Morocco stood up to the German demands and refused to send thousands of Moroccan Jews to the German concentration camps. I am proud of Morocco for taking this noble stand. I am proud of Morocco which has been and will be tomorrow, a place of tolerance between Jews and Muslims, who will live here together like brothers.
The winning cartoon by the Jordanian cartoonist compares the burning of the Jews with the burning of chicken during the bird flu crisis. A chicken shouts demanding that chicken should get their own state, like Israel, just like the Jews supposedly got their state of Israel because they were burned by the Nazis:
What is such a cartoon actually achieving? Is it furthering Palestinian, Arab and Muslim causes, or is it simply giving more ammunition to those who accuse Arabs and muslim of being anti-Semitic?
And did the world need such a competition anyway?
The political and financial exploitation of the suffering of the Jews at the hands of the Nazis has already been exposed and critiqued by controversial American author Norman Finkelstein (himself a Jew who’s parents are Holocaust survivors). He has written extensively about the ‘Holocaust Industry’: pro-Israel lobbyists who use the Holocaust for political and personal gains.
The Holocaust should not give Israel the right to oppress or ethnically cleanse the Palestinians. But denying the Holocaust or mocking it is no solution.
Exposing Israel’s brutal occupation is never achieved by comparing the burning of Jews to the burning of chicken. With all respect to the cartoonist, I consider such a comparison sick.
This whole cartoon business opens up the issue Holocaust denial, prevalent amongst many Arabs.
“But Hitler did not kill 6 million Jews” is a typical response from people when the Holocaust is discussed. I usually answer: let’s suppose he killed “only” one sixth of that number. Does that make what happened in Nazi Germany any “better”?
When I confronted a young Jordanian with some Holocaust information some years ago, the only response I got was a clueless grin. Because of Palestinian suffering at the hands of the Israeli occupation, far too many Arabs and muslims have come to only see their own suffering and can’t get themselves to sympathize with the suffering of other people (and definitely not the Jews). We cry ‘massacre’ and ‘atrocity’ when our own people are killed, but many just shrug when we hear the stories of suffering of Kurds, Africans or even fellow Arabs and muslims.
All killing, oppression and causing of grief is wrong, whomever commits it. Selective morality is wrong. Mocking the suffering of others is also wrong.
I admire and respect Omar’s talent as a young Jordanian cartooning talent. But I am very sorry that on this particular occasion I cannot congratulate him for his win.
Read more about the contest here.
Comments
26 responses to “Burning chicken and the Holocaust..”
1- you call Finkelstein “controversial”, the zionists are the ones who labeled him as such, why do u think he is? thats awkward.
2- you lamnet the lack of freedom of speech, yet your whole post protests a contest that is based on a premisis you disagree with, fine, but why do you want to deny the freedoms of others, no matter how much you disagree with them…..contradicting yourself maybe?
Thank you very much Ahmad for all points mentioned – Very true. I saw the chicken cartoon and felt exactly the same way. I did not even know what to make of it! Whether it achieved or transmitted a point or not …
To compare the holocaust and the burning of jews to burning chicken is definitely dumb. To deny the holocaust, as most do, is also rediculous. BUT to repeat history and inflict the same suffering on palestinians is also very stupid by Jews.
The Moroccan cartoonist’s drawing is brilliant and I respect his statement as well, it is honest, straight to the point and sending a direct message to zionists: Do not repeat in Palestine what your parents and grandparents suffered in Auschwitz.
Arabs and moslems should stop this “Oestrich” behaviour by hiding their heads in the ground and “think” there is nobody there. thanks again Ahmad
You couldn’t be more right, man.
Markus,
About Finkelstein being “controvesial”: I think that I am only reporting his status. He caused a controversy, didn’t he.
Freedom of speech: I think the Iranian newspaper is free to publish what it wants. I am not saying they should have been banned or censored.
Saad.. I agree with you.
But while I think that the moroccan cartoon is better than the Jordanian one, I still think that Holocaust comparisons can be counter productive for the Palestinian cause.
Thanks for your comment.
Ahmad, I liked your post. However, there is one thing I did not like.
“The Holocaust should not give Israel the right to oppress or ethnically cleanse the Palestinians. But denying the Holocaust or mocking it is no solution.”
Oppress is ok. But tell me where did Israel any ‘ethnically cleansing”? By your statement, you indirectly stated that Israel is doing so. I cannot see it. First, Israel has an Arab/Muslim minority of 12%. Second, their arsenal would be sufficient to cleanse the region if they wanted it.
give it a rest man, WHO CARES? i think we are swimming in a large ocean of TERMS, WORDS. LOGS! i dont care what the jews suffered in germany, as a matter of fact (and this IS dumb to say) i wish he burnt ALL of them! and i wont say i care enough about my fellow brothers suffering in different places, but here is a truth: i am born in Amman, and i dont get my full rights
! now THAT is the only truth, and the only problem i got to deal with… so what if a contest about the past and some distant present indulges blinded people, or those so obsessed with terms? give it a rest…
europia,
The systematic pushing out of palestinians from palestine has been going on since 1948. An interesting article in the Economist (see here, premium content: http://economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_RTDPGNT) was about how some Israeli academics are starting to admit the exsistence of an official policy of expulsion as Israel was being created in 1948. So it seems that the term “ethnic cleansing” can be applied to certain epochs of Israel’s history.
The combination of land confiscations, the wall, making life as difficult as possible as well as all sorts of administrative and legal hurdels that the Israelis create, today amounts to a policy of expulsion.
I even have some personal stories (of friends and relatives) that are a reflection of this policy.
The presence of right wing racists in the Israeli cabinet like liebermann are also another indicator.
I am not someone who take the term “ethnic cleansing” lightly. I don’t expect Israel to tomorrow ship off all palestinians en masse (although some in Israel advocate this).
But I think that it is fair to describe a lot of the stuff that went on in 1948 as ethnic cleansing.
Ayyash..
Who cares? I care. If you don’t that’s your own business.
Ayyash: “I wish he burnt all of them” now thats not only utterly wrong to say but thats exactly what they want to hear and capitalize on! They will take your message and run all over the world saying “look what someone said”
And to deny the holocaust is naiively un-realistic, the mass-killing in gas chambers actually took place! t is stupid to deny that fact. But the commercialization and marketing of the fact to attract world attention and world sympathy is another story and something else completely (which I think is what you have a problem with )
Europia: I think the wall is very similar to the gas chambers with only one difference: It is a slower kind of murder. “Cleansing”: Of course, the Palestinians are being kicked out, their land and property confiscated and are denied their very basic citizenship needs and human rights.
And Do you mean the same 12% minority who are actually being treated with severe segraggation and are actually being attacked and killed every day – Tell me you are not killing your own citizens?
What has the wall to do with murder? IMO a comparison of the wall with the concentration camps is as far from truth as it can be. It is a humiliation, an oppressive measure. But the wall killed no one. And unfortunately, the wall has reduced the number of suicide bombings in the areas protected by the wall by around 80%…
I mean the Arab population within Israels territory; Israely citizen. Sure they suffer some discrimination. However, I am pretty sure that they have a far better life than any minority in most other Arab countries.
Concerning ehtnic cleansing: I did not know this word can be used for mass expulsion. I thought its only meaning is same as genocide, which sure does not happen. My mistake… Sry.
Clarification: ‘unfortunately’ in my previous comment is not meant for the saved lives, but to for the fact that such an oppressive measure was apparrently needed to save lives…
Ahmad, the Jordanian cartoonist might be dumb and so is his cartoon, but it’s you who are dumber for asking the Arabs to shed a tear and identify with the suffering of their tormentors. I consider myself a liberal, I don’t deny the holocausts and I could care less if the numbers are 1 million or 10 million. it’s a tragedy for millions of innocents, jews included.
If we were living in a state of harmony where Palestinians are not being brutalized in the name of the suffering of jews, then by all means I would agree with you.
but it’s utterly grotesque for you to ask us to have a heart for a people who have shown us no heart and have manipulated public opinion by exploiting the holocoust to get a all-you-can-kill pass to murder Arabs.
Either you are a callous and insensitive self-hating Jordanian “Palestinian,” or you are a class A opportunist, the sort the local Jordanian establishment seem to mass produce: always siding with the rich and strong against the victim, in the name of liberalism and standing up to intolerance. Amazing how your types are so transparent to everyone but to yourselves. You surround yourselves with your types for so long you lose touch with decency.
Ahmad II,
It is amazing you can get yourself to call me all these names at once.
What kind of liberal are you if this is your reaction to my post. I suspect you haven’t even read the whole thing or the discussion that followed.
I stand against intolerence and violence against anyone.
I don’t deal with cultures and peoples as ahistorical monoliths
Being critical of our society doesn’t make me a self hating person. If anyone who does not join the chosrus of populist stances is immediatly branded self hating then we’re really in a bad shape.
I ask you to at least have the courage to mention your name an email.
Europia:
I disagree with you that “Sure they suffer some discrimination. However, I am pretty sure that they have a far better life than any minority in most other Arab countries.” Lieberman’s arrival to the Israeli cabinet as a vice prime minister and “Minister for Strategic Threats” is symptom of the ethic cleansing strategy that Israel has been adopting since 1948. It proves that Israel is indeed a racist state. Racism has been practiced over the %20 Arab minority in the country, numbering up to 1,300,000 (and not 12% as you mentioned) (“Israel’s Lieberman talks tough,” Wash Post, Nov 13, 2006).
When he served as minister of transport, Lieberman called for all Palestinian prisoners held by the Israeli occupation authorities to be drowned in the Dead Sea and offered to provide the buses (“Lieberman blasted for suggesting drowning Palestinian prisoners,” Ha’aretz, July 11, 2002). He also suggested to the Israeli cabinet that the air force systematically bomb all the commercial centers, gas stations and banks in the occupied territories (The Independent, March 7, 2002).
The list is too long for this post.
Through the years, Israel treated its Arab population as second-class citizens and practiced systematic and institutionalized discrimination in all areas (such as serving in the army). Palestinians are not defined by the state as a national minority despite UN Resolution 181 calling for such. They are referred to as “Israeli Arabs,” or “non-Jews.” (Adalah)
As for building comparisons for the status of Jews in Germany and that of Palestinians under the Israeli occupation, this is not meant to be a structural one. Refer to Massad for elaboration. I think this is a strong strategy. As “I think” Chomsky says, it is only through the Jews in the US who would realize that atrocities of Israel in Palestine, and compare it to those done to their parents in Germany, that the unfortunate status quo would come to an end (look at Sara Roy: http://www.peaceworkmagazine.org/pwork/0212/021222.htm)
Akkash:
Your comments are alarming. It is my hope (and I am sure) that what you say and what the Jordanian cartoonist did, do not reflect a mainstream discourse in Jordan. Let us not forget the long peaceful history and Jews and Muslims through the centuries, and till the establishment of the Israeli state. I would be glad to go in depth into this if you wish. Let us not forget our human nature
interesting article to read
http://desertpeace.blogspot.com/2006/11/curse-of-history.html
Dear Ahmad Humaid
I respect all people, I respect all religions and even people without religion. I do not say that the holocaust never happened I am only saying in the winning cartoon that don’t build your dreams and suffer on other lands.
Iran are one the best people in the cartoon industry in the middel east , and I am happy that They picked my cartoon with other best cartoonists from Italy, Brazil, France, Morocco,Iran
now I work with the great artist Emad Hajjaj and his brother Osama Hajjaj in abu Mahjoob creative Producation
I admire your work Ahmad and respect your Ideas and wish for you and syntax the best always
BR
Omar Al Abdallat
Dear Omar..
All respect to you.. We might disagree on this cartoon and competition, but I hope it’s all understood within the bounds of an open democratic discussion.
Keep on cartooning and I wish the the best of success too
ahmad, you describe your comments as self-critical.
when did you criticize regime corruption?
when did you criticize torture? or have you possibly missed the HRW and AI reports?
When did you criticize the unequal distribution of wealth where a certain class gets all the perks and privileges and another gets less?
When….
or is it just a mere coincident that your criticism is never directed at the rich and powerful but at those who cannot affect your wallet?
Muncef,
My blog’s focus is on design, media and technology, as clearly stated on the header.
Yes sometimes I might comment on politics and other issues.
Criticism of torture, corruption and inequality all all over the web and even in our daily newspapers. Do i think I will be adding much to this I start copying and pasting HRW and AI reports here.
My advice to you is: instead of asking why why why, go to blogger.com, start you own blog (preferably under you real name). If you have something to add to the corruption, torture and inequality discussion, then blog about it.
Thanks
“If anyone who does not join the chosrus of populist stances is immediatly branded self hating then we’re really in a bad shape.”
ahmad, there is a great distance between not joining the “chosrus of populist stances” and between staking opportunist stances that somehow always put you in the good graces of the rich and powerful. And if you consider human rights and anti-repression and anti-corruption stances to be “populist” stances than would you please explain to us what’s an “elitist” stance? on second thought, you have already done so.
i think isralies are duing a muslim holohcoust to the palastines they now how it felt for them so the shouldnt do this to palastines.
I THINK WHEN THE WEST PUT THEIR CARTOONS ABOUT OUR PROPHET MOHAMMAD THEY DIDNT ASK QUESTIONS LIKE YOU, DID WE DO SOMETHING. HTEY DIDNT THINK ABOUT US, SO WHY YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT THEM???????? DID IT DO SOMETHING?
AND WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK WHY IS THERE TOW STANDARDS FOR SPEACH FREEDOM IN THERE COUNTRY. LET THE IRANIAN NEWSPAPER SHOW THEM THAT YOU DONT HAVE ATHE FREEDOM YOU R TALKING ABOUT.
damn all hators
hitler is amean and horrible person who would ever do so much bad things today hopefully it wont haappen again today or tommorow or ever
It is funny but sad at the sametime