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An editorial cartoon,
also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration or comic strip
containing a political or social message, that usually relates to
current events or personalities.
Editorial cartoons can usually be
found on the editorial page of most newspapers, although a few, like Garry
Trudeau's Doonesbury are sometimes found on the regular comics page. Recently,
many radical or minority issue editorial cartoonists who would previously have
been obscure have found large audiences on the internet. While not carrying the
same legitimacy as corporate newspaper cartoonists, self-editing online
cartoonists who do not find themselves subject to the constraints of the
newspaper industry have often produced challenging, incisive and acerbic work
with great visual innovation. Although their style, technique or viewpoints may
differ, editorial cartoonists draw attention to important social and political
issues. |
Does editorial cartooning about religion cross the
line?
The Jyllands-Posten
Muhammad cartoons controversy began after twelve editorial cartoons, most of
which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish
newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 2005-09-30. The newspaper announced that this
publication was an attempt to contribute to the debate regarding criticism of
Islam and self-censorship. Danish Muslim organizations, who objected to the
depictions, responded by holding public protests attempting to raise awareness
of Jyllands-Posten's publication. The controversy deepened when further examples
of the cartoons were reprinted in newspapers in more than fifty other countries.
This led to numerous protests, including violent rioting particularly in the
Muslim world. Critics of the cartoons described them as Islamophobic or racist,
and argue that they are blasphemous to people of the Muslim faith, intended to
humiliate a Danish minority, or are a manifestation of ignorance about the
history of western imperialism, from colonialism to the current conflicts in the
Middle East. Supporters of the cartoons said they've illustrated an important
issue in a period of Islamist terrorism and that their publication is a
legitimate exercise of the right of free speech. They also claim that similar
cartoons about other religions are frequently printed, arguing that the
followers of Islam were not targeted in a discriminatory way. Danish Prime
Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen described the controversy as Denmark's worst
international crisis since World War II.
Click Picture to see Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons full size
Some of the cartoons can be difficult to fully understand for those without
knowledge of certain Danish language metaphors or awareness of individuals of
note to the Danish public. Furthermore, certain cartoons have captions written
in Danish and one in Persian. Detailed descriptions of the cartoons and
translations of the captions as well as explanations concerning Danish cultural
references are provided here.
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