Thursday, November 19, 2009
LAWf away @ Kerala High Court on 20th November,2009
Kerala Cartoon Academy in Association with the Kerala High Court Advocates Association conducting live caricature show at Kerala High Court Bar Association Hall on 20-11-09 from 10 AM to 4 PM in connection with the High Court Day Celebrations 2009.Members of Kerala Cartoon Academy will participate in the live caricatures of Chief Justice of Kerala ,High Court Judges, Advocates, Staff and Advocates Clerk, which will be exhibited till November 21. 
Sunday, November 15, 2009
MANMOHAN-SONIA COMPETITION. DATE EXTENDED !!!
The biggest caricature competition in the Country till date in terms of Prize Money - caricaturing Dr. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi - will keep on enticing cartoonists for a fortnight more ! As per the latest communication received from the Organisers, the Indian Institute of Cartoonists, entries can be now sent till 30.11.2009 as against 15.11.2009 !
Thus, the news given earlier HERE may please be suitably reread.
Thus, the news given earlier HERE may please be suitably reread.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Bangladesh Mohammed cartoonist given jail sentence
(AFP)
DHAKA — A court in southwestern Bangladesh on Thursday found a cartoonist guilty of "hurting the religious feelings of the Muslim community" and sentenced him to two months of hard labour, a judge said.
Arifur Rahman, 25, was tried in absence over the drawing, which sparked street clashes and riots in the capital Dhaka when it appeared in a satirical magazine two years ago.
Rahman, who was arrested but later bailed, told AFP that he was unaware of the trial.
The cartoon, which showed a small boy suggesting that all cats should be named Mohammed, appeared in Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo's weekly and now defunct magazine "Alpin".
"He has been given a two-month, hard labour jail sentence and a 500-taka (7.40 dollars) fine," said magistrate Kaisarul Islam, who presided over the case in the city of Jessore.
"I am not on the run and have not been told about the case," Rahman said in Dhaka. "I will speak to my lawyers."
Bangladesh, the fourth-largest Muslim-majority country in the world, was under a state of emergency and ruled by an army-backed regime when the cartoon was published.
Thousands of people defied a ban on protests to march against the cartoon, forcing the newspaper's editor to publicly apologise and sack Rahman.
DHAKA — A court in southwestern Bangladesh on Thursday found a cartoonist guilty of "hurting the religious feelings of the Muslim community" and sentenced him to two months of hard labour, a judge said.
Arifur Rahman, 25, was tried in absence over the drawing, which sparked street clashes and riots in the capital Dhaka when it appeared in a satirical magazine two years ago.
Rahman, who was arrested but later bailed, told AFP that he was unaware of the trial.
The cartoon, which showed a small boy suggesting that all cats should be named Mohammed, appeared in Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo's weekly and now defunct magazine "Alpin".
"He has been given a two-month, hard labour jail sentence and a 500-taka (7.40 dollars) fine," said magistrate Kaisarul Islam, who presided over the case in the city of Jessore.
"I am not on the run and have not been told about the case," Rahman said in Dhaka. "I will speak to my lawyers."
Bangladesh, the fourth-largest Muslim-majority country in the world, was under a state of emergency and ruled by an army-backed regime when the cartoon was published.
Thousands of people defied a ban on protests to march against the cartoon, forcing the newspaper's editor to publicly apologise and sack Rahman.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Cartoonist Arif jailed for two months
Jessore, Nov 12 (bdnews24.com)–A Jessore court has handed down two months of rigorous imprisonment to cartoonist Arifur Rahman of satire magazine Alpin, a weekly publication of the daily Prothom Alo.
Judge Kaisarul Islam of the Judicial Magistrate's Court of Jessore in the ruling on Thursday said Arif will also have to pay Tk 500 in fine or another seven days in prison. The verdict was given in the case regarding publication of sacrilegious cartoon in the magazine in Sep 2007.
"Arif is at large. The verdict was given in his absence," his lawyer Alamgir Siddiqi told bdnews24.com.
However, Arif told bdnews24.com that he knew nothing about this case. He said treason and blasphemy cases against him have been dismissed in court. The case was filed by ATM Shoaib, the imam of the Jessore Collectorate Mosque, at the Executive Magistrate's Court on Oct 23, 2007.
The case alleged that the irreverent cartoon on prophet Hazrat Muhammad had hurt religious feelings. Prothom Alo publisher Mahfuz Anam, editor Motiur Rahman and Arif were accused in the case. Later, the court issued arrest warrant only against Arif. Security officials arrested Arif on Sep 18, 2007 after hard-line Islamic groups protested against one of his cartoons. Authorities charged the young cartoonist with "hurting the religious sentiments of the people" and ordered 30 days' detention. Arif's detention was later extended by three months. The government confiscated all copies of the now-defunct satire magazine in which the cartoon was printed. Amid a protest by Islamic groups, Prothom Alo's editor and publisher apologised for printing the cartoon, and fired the cartoonist.
On Feb 4, the High Court ruled Arif's detention illegal and ordered his immediate release. He was freed on Mar 20 this year. The cartoonist's arrest and detention also earned criticism from local and international rights groups. In January, human-rights watchdog Amnesty International demanded Arif's release, terming him "a prisoner of conscience".
The twist of fate came with an advertisement in a fun magazine. In 2004 the magazine asked its readers to send cartoons, Arif did so. This was the first time he drew a comic and it was selected. He was on cloud nine. A boy from a village had his cartoon on a National daily! Arif fall for the fame. He started drawing cartoons and sending them to all the funmags he knew. But still there were mouths to feed since the cartoons weren’t earning him money. Arif started working in a grocery shop owned by his cousin in Dhaka.
He was satisfied with the shelter assuring him food and some pocket money. He drew cartoons in the lunch break. In his tiny room, the cartoonist was again on the job till he slept. There was no looking back from then on since they were being published in the famous magazines like ‘Ummad’ and ‘Bicchhu’. Arif sent them to Alpin too, the one of the Daily Prothom-Alo. But the supplement editor had his reservations since Arif was drawing for every other publication. He was advised to draw exclusively for them in order to get them in print. Arif agreed after co-incidently winning the pin-hunt competition prize in two catagories. Recognition followed when he won the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) cartoon contest and another jointly arranged by the Daily Star and Anti Corruption Commission. Famous cartoonist like Rafiq-un-Nabi (Ranabi) and Shishir Bhattacharya praised Arif and were surprised to know that he hadn’t any formal training on drawing. Only a month later recieving the famous prize, he faced the other side of the coin. In one of his cartoons published in Alpin (17th September, 2007 issue), an old man was asking the name of a child with a cat in his lap. The boy answered and was scolded for not putting Mohammad before his name, as he was Muslim. Then the man asked about the animal and the scared boy put the holy prophet’s name before the cat as suggested by the elder. Things turned bad the moment it hit the stands. The furious mullahs were on rampage and Arif was suddenly the enemy of the state! His story really starts from here:
He was satisfied with the shelter assuring him food and some pocket money. He drew cartoons in the lunch break. In his tiny room, the cartoonist was again on the job till he slept. There was no looking back from then on since they were being published in the famous magazines like ‘Ummad’ and ‘Bicchhu’. Arif sent them to Alpin too, the one of the Daily Prothom-Alo. But the supplement editor had his reservations since Arif was drawing for every other publication. He was advised to draw exclusively for them in order to get them in print. Arif agreed after co-incidently winning the pin-hunt competition prize in two catagories. Recognition followed when he won the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) cartoon contest and another jointly arranged by the Daily Star and Anti Corruption Commission. Famous cartoonist like Rafiq-un-Nabi (Ranabi) and Shishir Bhattacharya praised Arif and were surprised to know that he hadn’t any formal training on drawing. Only a month later recieving the famous prize, he faced the other side of the coin. In one of his cartoons published in Alpin (17th September, 2007 issue), an old man was asking the name of a child with a cat in his lap. The boy answered and was scolded for not putting Mohammad before his name, as he was Muslim. Then the man asked about the animal and the scared boy put the holy prophet’s name before the cat as suggested by the elder. Things turned bad the moment it hit the stands. The furious mullahs were on rampage and Arif was suddenly the enemy of the state! His story really starts from here:
So what was the idea behind the cartoon? Why did you draw it?
Well, i never thought this was going to be such a big issue. The joke I used is a common one in our locality, infact in that zone.
Well, i never thought this was going to be such a big issue. The joke I used is a common one in our locality, infact in that zone.
I heard it when as a kid and even when I grew up. My idea was to highlight the faulty religious teachings by some of our elders where they advise to put the name of our holy Prophet before every name, when they should also clarify where it shouldn’t be used. What surprised me, I learnt after my release that the same joke was used in a publication of Islami Chatra Shibir name Kishorekantha (November, 1998 Issue).
Did you see it?
Yes, I did.
What happened next?
I draw it on 5th September last year and it was published in Alpin on 17th September. That day a fellow contributer called me and said my cartoon has enraged some people. He couldn’t elaborate and I was worried. I called the supplement editor Sumanta Aslam and he said not to worry but to keep my phone open. I had a restless night. Next morning I told my cousin about what I heard and he said I should go hiding. Then a call came from reporter Tipu Sultan. He said that the CID (Criminal Investigative Department) wants to talk to me and they would like to meet me, I better co-operate.
Where were you then?
At the shop. Then the CID called and asked for my location. I gave it to them. Hours later a police jeep stopped nearby. I was standing outside. An officer came in and asked for me. I said- I’m Arif. He told me to accompany him to the CID office for some questioning. On the wireless he told some superior, ‘we have him sir’. I rode the Jeep and asked him if I was arrested. He said I was being taken to the safe custody. I tried to make a call from my cell phone but he confiscated it. He returned it though after a while. I then sent a text message to Sumanta Vai, but he didn’t respond.
Did the CID interrogate you? Were you harassed or beaten?
No, nothing likes that. The officer who arrested me took me to his superior who promised to reward him, maybe for arresting a criminal like me (laughs). And then I was told to go to the ground floor. There some officers asked me about the idea of the cartoon.
What idea?
They wanted to know who gave me the idea for the cartoon. If it was Matiur Rahman (Editor, Prothom-alo) or Mahfuz Anam (Editor, Daily Star) or anybody else. I said it was my idea. At the same time I begged mercy for others, cause no one else was involved in it. Fortunately, there were other officers who spoke for me. One of them showed a print-out image of mine taking the TIB cartoon competition prize. Another praised me as a promising cartoonist who some day would be famous.
No incident there?
Nothing scary, rather an interesting one. I was ordered to be sent to the Tejgaon Police station. Before leaving, one of the officers took me to his room. He requested to draw a cartoon as a souvenir. I was embarrassed. I told him about my state of mind- with all the tensions surrounding. But he insisted, so I drew one. It was not a cartoon but a sketch, where a young man was sitting with a gloomy face and another talking to him. It was practically the scene of the room. The officer liked it. I had to sign it.
By this time, no one called?
Not while in the CID office. When I started again towards Tejgaon my cousin and an uncle called and said not to worry. They said they would try their best to bail me out. Then came another call from another Prothom-alo reporter. He said the National Security Intelligence (NSI) would call me and I should gently co-operate.
So the CID was a relief?
Yes it was. The people were good there. One, who took me to the police station said that he felt sorry for me cause I was framed- a pawn in the situation. Maybe my rustic outlook made them believe I was innocent. These guys work with the criminals all the time, they can tell.
What happened in the Police Station?
The CID officer escorted me there and handed over to the Officer in Charge. Before leaving he returned just to console me. He said some encouraging words and requested others to take care of me. I was really touched. Then the OC asked the same questions again, why I drew that cartoon. He then said the Government wanted to keep me in safe custody because my life was in danger.
He told me to fill up the necessary forms for the custody. It was near the lockup and then the harassment began. A Sub-inspector started calling me all the names in the book and some constables joined him.
Did they hurt you?
No, they didn’t touch me, but scolded for defaming the religion. At the same time the NSI called. An officer asked me the same questions over and again- who was behind the idea, why I drew it? With people (some police) shouting at me I had to keep my voice as normal as possible and answer them. Then in middle of the conversation the Sub-inspector snatched my phone and put it in his pocket. I was put in the lock-up, had my Iftari (Arif was fasting, it was the Ramazan) with others. Then I was put in a separate cell all alone.
Did you meet the media?
No. I heard they were there in the police station and that’s why I was put in a single cell to show them I was in safe custody, which changed later.
What change?
When I was sent to the Court and then in Jail, I learnt that the OC of Tejgaon filed a case of profanity and sedition against me and I was on trial for that.
An enemy of the state?
You can say that.
One fill in the gap question; the NSI, was they offended in the sudden hamper in your conversation? Did they contact you after that?
I don’t know. It was not my fault though. But they didn’t contact me after that.
What happened in the jail? I mean what was your experience?
Apart from two attacks, it was not all that bad in terms of experience. I was sad though. I had to stay away two Eids from my mom. It was painful.
What attack?
When I was in, they put me in the Amdani ward, which was for the newcomers. There some people attacked me. On the first attack they beat me with bamboo pole and some beat me with bare fists. Then again after a few hours I was attacked. One of them took a stick, put it in the toilet and then brushed it in my mouth. I was fasting then.
No one stopped them! Who were these guys?
Not at the start. But after some while others intervened. They were the JMB (Jamatul Mujahedin Bangladesh).
How could you be so sure that they were JMB?
I asked others and later I talked to some of them. Everyone knows that they are the JMB.
You talked to them!
See, I was always followed by them. They constantly kept me on watch. Some of them tried to be friendly too. They offered me to join them. And I said I would (laughs).
You would!
Well, just to get rid of them I had to tell something.
Only two attacks and then nothing?
Well after the attacks, I was switched to Manihar ward; there they came again after me. Then I was put in the ‘Choy Cell’ (a six room cell). There I had Arafat Rahman Koko (son of ex-premier Khaleda Zia), Professor Anwar Hossain, Abdul Awal Mintoo as cellmates. Because of the security reasons, I missed the Eid Ul Fitr Jamat, which I had in my room. Then in the Eid ul Azha, I attended the Jamat with others.
So many VIP’s. Any incident there?
Nothing you can call incident. All of them were good to me. Arafat Bhai used to recite the Hadith and advised me not to draw cartoons anymore since they are haram for Muslims. Anwar Sir used to take good care of me, he even gave me pen and paper to draw whatever I like. Abdul Awal sir gave me a radio to listen to the news. All of them were good. Later I was sent to the ‘Nobbui Cell’ (ninety room cell). I was there till my release.
Did you have any visitor? How did you know about your legal proceedings?
Barrister Sara Hossain came to visit me on the eve of Eid Ul Fitr. She told me not to worry. I didn’t have any visitor till the last days of my sentence. They used to take me to the Court; it was like going and coming from there. I had no chance to talk to anybody, not even my legal advisors.
Then how things turned?
After the resignation of Barrister Mainul Hosein from the Caretaker Government, things changed abruptly. I was sent a mercy petition application from the Prothom-Alo which I signed and then suddenly my case moved real fast. And at last I was pardoned for all my offences or dismissed from all the charges against me.
So you mean to say Barrister Mainul Hosein was behind this?
No, I didn’t mean that. All I said was the timeframe from when my case paced. It can be a co-incidence, but I don’t blame or accuse anybody. See even Sumanta Bhai is working in the Ittefaq (owned by Mainul Hosein) now. I went there to meet him. He wished me luck.
So what’s the situation now? You draw cartoons?
Of course I do. I practice because I want to keep it up. But I don’t send them anywhere. No one will publish them I think. But someday they will, I want to show them all that what you did was wrong to me. But still I feel sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings. My aim is to be famous someday, so that all the people of Bangladesh can take pride in me.
Are you safe? Do you feel the JMB are done with you?
That’s the thing still haunt me even in my dreams. I usually keep a low profile; never in anywhere have I introduced myself as Arif. But still I don’t feel safe; they can be anywhere and even kill me if they want. I don’t even work in the shop where I used to.
If I publish this interview, do you think there will be problem for you from any quarter?
I don’t think so. The government did not put an embargo on my words; they didn’t say that I couldn’t talk to anyone. It’s just that nobody before you wanted to know what happened. I want people to know that I didn’t mean to harm anybody or their feelings. Maybe someday I can compensate them and my country by doing something great. All I’m afraid is of the JMB guys, I don’t know what they will do. When I was in Jail, one of them said he who will kill me will be guaranteed heaven. They can do anything for a place in heaven.
So, that was the mystery of the scared eyes. Our conversation ended there. Arif was jobless, but not entirely. The Election Commission called Arif and he was illustrating the publications for the forthcoming election. The money would be good he was promised. Good for Arif, who is waiting for the sunshine.
Did you see it?
Yes, I did.
What happened next?
I draw it on 5th September last year and it was published in Alpin on 17th September. That day a fellow contributer called me and said my cartoon has enraged some people. He couldn’t elaborate and I was worried. I called the supplement editor Sumanta Aslam and he said not to worry but to keep my phone open. I had a restless night. Next morning I told my cousin about what I heard and he said I should go hiding. Then a call came from reporter Tipu Sultan. He said that the CID (Criminal Investigative Department) wants to talk to me and they would like to meet me, I better co-operate.
Where were you then?
At the shop. Then the CID called and asked for my location. I gave it to them. Hours later a police jeep stopped nearby. I was standing outside. An officer came in and asked for me. I said- I’m Arif. He told me to accompany him to the CID office for some questioning. On the wireless he told some superior, ‘we have him sir’. I rode the Jeep and asked him if I was arrested. He said I was being taken to the safe custody. I tried to make a call from my cell phone but he confiscated it. He returned it though after a while. I then sent a text message to Sumanta Vai, but he didn’t respond.
Did the CID interrogate you? Were you harassed or beaten?
No, nothing likes that. The officer who arrested me took me to his superior who promised to reward him, maybe for arresting a criminal like me (laughs). And then I was told to go to the ground floor. There some officers asked me about the idea of the cartoon.
What idea?
They wanted to know who gave me the idea for the cartoon. If it was Matiur Rahman (Editor, Prothom-alo) or Mahfuz Anam (Editor, Daily Star) or anybody else. I said it was my idea. At the same time I begged mercy for others, cause no one else was involved in it. Fortunately, there were other officers who spoke for me. One of them showed a print-out image of mine taking the TIB cartoon competition prize. Another praised me as a promising cartoonist who some day would be famous.
No incident there?
Nothing scary, rather an interesting one. I was ordered to be sent to the Tejgaon Police station. Before leaving, one of the officers took me to his room. He requested to draw a cartoon as a souvenir. I was embarrassed. I told him about my state of mind- with all the tensions surrounding. But he insisted, so I drew one. It was not a cartoon but a sketch, where a young man was sitting with a gloomy face and another talking to him. It was practically the scene of the room. The officer liked it. I had to sign it.
By this time, no one called?
Not while in the CID office. When I started again towards Tejgaon my cousin and an uncle called and said not to worry. They said they would try their best to bail me out. Then came another call from another Prothom-alo reporter. He said the National Security Intelligence (NSI) would call me and I should gently co-operate.
So the CID was a relief?
Yes it was. The people were good there. One, who took me to the police station said that he felt sorry for me cause I was framed- a pawn in the situation. Maybe my rustic outlook made them believe I was innocent. These guys work with the criminals all the time, they can tell.
What happened in the Police Station?
The CID officer escorted me there and handed over to the Officer in Charge. Before leaving he returned just to console me. He said some encouraging words and requested others to take care of me. I was really touched. Then the OC asked the same questions again, why I drew that cartoon. He then said the Government wanted to keep me in safe custody because my life was in danger.
He told me to fill up the necessary forms for the custody. It was near the lockup and then the harassment began. A Sub-inspector started calling me all the names in the book and some constables joined him.
Did they hurt you?
No, they didn’t touch me, but scolded for defaming the religion. At the same time the NSI called. An officer asked me the same questions over and again- who was behind the idea, why I drew it? With people (some police) shouting at me I had to keep my voice as normal as possible and answer them. Then in middle of the conversation the Sub-inspector snatched my phone and put it in his pocket. I was put in the lock-up, had my Iftari (Arif was fasting, it was the Ramazan) with others. Then I was put in a separate cell all alone.
Did you meet the media?
No. I heard they were there in the police station and that’s why I was put in a single cell to show them I was in safe custody, which changed later.
What change?
When I was sent to the Court and then in Jail, I learnt that the OC of Tejgaon filed a case of profanity and sedition against me and I was on trial for that.
An enemy of the state?
You can say that.
One fill in the gap question; the NSI, was they offended in the sudden hamper in your conversation? Did they contact you after that?
I don’t know. It was not my fault though. But they didn’t contact me after that.
What happened in the jail? I mean what was your experience?
Apart from two attacks, it was not all that bad in terms of experience. I was sad though. I had to stay away two Eids from my mom. It was painful.
What attack?
When I was in, they put me in the Amdani ward, which was for the newcomers. There some people attacked me. On the first attack they beat me with bamboo pole and some beat me with bare fists. Then again after a few hours I was attacked. One of them took a stick, put it in the toilet and then brushed it in my mouth. I was fasting then.
No one stopped them! Who were these guys?
Not at the start. But after some while others intervened. They were the JMB (Jamatul Mujahedin Bangladesh).
How could you be so sure that they were JMB?
I asked others and later I talked to some of them. Everyone knows that they are the JMB.
You talked to them!
See, I was always followed by them. They constantly kept me on watch. Some of them tried to be friendly too. They offered me to join them. And I said I would (laughs).
You would!
Well, just to get rid of them I had to tell something.
Only two attacks and then nothing?
Well after the attacks, I was switched to Manihar ward; there they came again after me. Then I was put in the ‘Choy Cell’ (a six room cell). There I had Arafat Rahman Koko (son of ex-premier Khaleda Zia), Professor Anwar Hossain, Abdul Awal Mintoo as cellmates. Because of the security reasons, I missed the Eid Ul Fitr Jamat, which I had in my room. Then in the Eid ul Azha, I attended the Jamat with others.
So many VIP’s. Any incident there?
Nothing you can call incident. All of them were good to me. Arafat Bhai used to recite the Hadith and advised me not to draw cartoons anymore since they are haram for Muslims. Anwar Sir used to take good care of me, he even gave me pen and paper to draw whatever I like. Abdul Awal sir gave me a radio to listen to the news. All of them were good. Later I was sent to the ‘Nobbui Cell’ (ninety room cell). I was there till my release.
Did you have any visitor? How did you know about your legal proceedings?
Barrister Sara Hossain came to visit me on the eve of Eid Ul Fitr. She told me not to worry. I didn’t have any visitor till the last days of my sentence. They used to take me to the Court; it was like going and coming from there. I had no chance to talk to anybody, not even my legal advisors.
Then how things turned?
After the resignation of Barrister Mainul Hosein from the Caretaker Government, things changed abruptly. I was sent a mercy petition application from the Prothom-Alo which I signed and then suddenly my case moved real fast. And at last I was pardoned for all my offences or dismissed from all the charges against me.
So you mean to say Barrister Mainul Hosein was behind this?
No, I didn’t mean that. All I said was the timeframe from when my case paced. It can be a co-incidence, but I don’t blame or accuse anybody. See even Sumanta Bhai is working in the Ittefaq (owned by Mainul Hosein) now. I went there to meet him. He wished me luck.
So what’s the situation now? You draw cartoons?
Of course I do. I practice because I want to keep it up. But I don’t send them anywhere. No one will publish them I think. But someday they will, I want to show them all that what you did was wrong to me. But still I feel sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings. My aim is to be famous someday, so that all the people of Bangladesh can take pride in me.
Are you safe? Do you feel the JMB are done with you?
That’s the thing still haunt me even in my dreams. I usually keep a low profile; never in anywhere have I introduced myself as Arif. But still I don’t feel safe; they can be anywhere and even kill me if they want. I don’t even work in the shop where I used to.
If I publish this interview, do you think there will be problem for you from any quarter?
I don’t think so. The government did not put an embargo on my words; they didn’t say that I couldn’t talk to anyone. It’s just that nobody before you wanted to know what happened. I want people to know that I didn’t mean to harm anybody or their feelings. Maybe someday I can compensate them and my country by doing something great. All I’m afraid is of the JMB guys, I don’t know what they will do. When I was in Jail, one of them said he who will kill me will be guaranteed heaven. They can do anything for a place in heaven.
So, that was the mystery of the scared eyes. Our conversation ended there. Arif was jobless, but not entirely. The Election Commission called Arif and he was illustrating the publications for the forthcoming election. The money would be good he was promised. Good for Arif, who is waiting for the sunshine.
Monday, November 9, 2009
India briefed on Headley case: U.S.
The videos seized contained speeches by Osama bin Laden and other terrorists
Man who bombed the Danish embassy in Islamabad was featured in a video.
WASHINGTON: The United States has briefed the Indian government about the case involving David Headley Coleman, arrested by the FBI in the U.S. last month for plotting a terror attack in India at the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s behest, and continues to follow it up.
“I know that our Ambassador [Tim Roemer] has briefed the government of India, and we continue to follow the case,” State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters on Saturday.
Headley, 49, was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Philadelphia on his way to Pakistan. The FBI also arrested Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin.
Mr. Kelly refused to divulge further information. “I’m not at liberty to divulge the details of the interrogation. It’s an ongoing legal case, and it really is up to the Department of Justice...”
FBI sleuths have recovered from Rana’s house two inflammatory al-Qaeda videos containing speeches by Osama bin Laden and other terrorists.
Produced by As Sahab Media, acknowledged to be al-Qaeda’s media wing, one of the videos is titled ‘Bombing of Denmark Embassy.’ The videos were recovered from the living room of Rana, who has been staying in Chicago for nearly a decade.
In a supporting affidavit submitted to a Chicago court on Friday, federal prosecutors informed judge Nan R. Nolan about the videos. The video on Denmark, where a newspaper published cartoons of Prophet Mohammad, is 54 minutes long. “That video was on a DVD recovered from the living room of Rana’s home on October 18, 2009,” prosecutors said. “The video is narrated by Abu Yahya al-Libi, an al-Qaeda spokesman who escaped from American custody in Afghanistan.” “Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, the third ranking al-Qaeda member, also appears on the video,” the new affidavit said.
The video focuses on the controversy sparked by the cartoons published in Jyllands-Posten. The footage of the then Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who defended the caricatures as freedom of expression, are featured prominently. Strong comments then follow from the narrators, condemning the U.S., Denmark and Jews.
According to the affidavit, the DVD also prominently features the video of the man who carried out a suicide car bombing of the Danish embassy in Islamabad on June 2, 2008.
The second video “…begins with a speech by Osama bin Laden and profiles the lives and deaths of four men described as having died in the fight on behalf of Islam. The video also included remarks by Mustafa Abu al Yazid, who appeared on the Denmark video,” says the affidavit.
Man who bombed the Danish embassy in Islamabad was featured in a video.
WASHINGTON: The United States has briefed the Indian government about the case involving David Headley Coleman, arrested by the FBI in the U.S. last month for plotting a terror attack in India at the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s behest, and continues to follow it up.
“I know that our Ambassador [Tim Roemer] has briefed the government of India, and we continue to follow the case,” State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters on Saturday.
Headley, 49, was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Philadelphia on his way to Pakistan. The FBI also arrested Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin.
Mr. Kelly refused to divulge further information. “I’m not at liberty to divulge the details of the interrogation. It’s an ongoing legal case, and it really is up to the Department of Justice...”
FBI sleuths have recovered from Rana’s house two inflammatory al-Qaeda videos containing speeches by Osama bin Laden and other terrorists.
Produced by As Sahab Media, acknowledged to be al-Qaeda’s media wing, one of the videos is titled ‘Bombing of Denmark Embassy.’ The videos were recovered from the living room of Rana, who has been staying in Chicago for nearly a decade.
In a supporting affidavit submitted to a Chicago court on Friday, federal prosecutors informed judge Nan R. Nolan about the videos. The video on Denmark, where a newspaper published cartoons of Prophet Mohammad, is 54 minutes long. “That video was on a DVD recovered from the living room of Rana’s home on October 18, 2009,” prosecutors said. “The video is narrated by Abu Yahya al-Libi, an al-Qaeda spokesman who escaped from American custody in Afghanistan.” “Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, the third ranking al-Qaeda member, also appears on the video,” the new affidavit said.
The video focuses on the controversy sparked by the cartoons published in Jyllands-Posten. The footage of the then Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who defended the caricatures as freedom of expression, are featured prominently. Strong comments then follow from the narrators, condemning the U.S., Denmark and Jews.
According to the affidavit, the DVD also prominently features the video of the man who carried out a suicide car bombing of the Danish embassy in Islamabad on June 2, 2008.
The second video “…begins with a speech by Osama bin Laden and profiles the lives and deaths of four men described as having died in the fight on behalf of Islam. The video also included remarks by Mustafa Abu al Yazid, who appeared on the Denmark video,” says the affidavit.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Strong Museum celebrates comic book heroes
The epic battle of good vs. evil brings comic book heroes to Strong exhibit
WANG! ZAP! KAWUNNGG!
Superman, Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk are sweating bullets at Strong National Museum of Play.
Can they protect Rochester against malevolent mutants and scaly-skinned slimeballs? The fate of local family entertainment hangs in the balance.
"American Comic Book Heroes," Strong's latest exhibit, explores superheroes' 70-year crusade against unspeakable forces of evil. And wouldn't you know? One of their first creators was a Rochester cartoonist who learned his craft at Franklin High School.
But before hearing his incredible tale, let's have a brief word from our sponsor. Strong developed this exhibit to show how comic book characters influence children's play activities. It also reveals the historical forces that shaped superheroes' battle against world dominators.
"These characters leap from the pages of comic books into kids' imaginations," says Jon-Paul Dyson, Strong's vice president for exhibit research and development. "Kids go from reading to becoming these superheroes in their play. They can also explore concepts of good and evil in a very safe way."
The exhibit draws from Strong's collection of vintage comic books and associated products.
A glum-looking Superman doll brandishes fists like sledgehammers. A video game shows Captain America enjoying his special brand of vengeance — kick-boxing his enemies, then shooting them full of arrows.
That feisty attitude was fostered by powerful historical forces. Superman and Captain America emerged in the late 1930s and early 1940s, as America fought its way out of the Great Depression, only to confront a growing threat of fascism in Europe and Asia.
"Before we even entered World War II, one comic book shows Captain America slugging Hitler in the jaw," Dyson says. Captain America's inventor was Rochester native Joe Simon, now a 96-year-old Manhattanite. He started out as art director for Franklin High's school newspaper and later freelanced for a New York City magazine. There he met Jack Kirby, a young Jewish cartoonist. They formed a long creative partnership that produced Captain America, The Fly and the new genre of romance comics.
-->(2 of 2)
Captain America was precisely the ultra-patriotic cheerleader needed in wartime, earning his inventors lucrative contracts. But their collaboration ended after 1954, when the comic book industry imposed a censorship code on its members.
triggerAd(2,PaginationPage,7);
"In every instance, good shall triumph over evil," the Comics Code dictated. Since the McCarthy era, the Code's influence has steadily waned. The 1960s saw a new breed of tormented superheroes with dark secrets.
"Spider-Man is plagued by self-doubt," says Dyson. "The Incredible Hulk is overpowered by rage."
The morally pure Captain America, however, lives on in a stirring portrait that Simon drew for this exhibit.
Visitors who prefer family fun to superhero sociology should head straight for the interactive displays.
Try to lift a giant canister of glowing green goo (maybe Kryptonite?). It won't budge until you push a button. A sudden whoosh of gamma rays lets you pick it up with ease.
Ride a jiggly surfboard while chasing Dr. Dread and his flying nuclear bandits on a video screen. It's not for the faint of stomach.
Compared to early comic books, today's pulp heroism is largely apolitical. No one zaps Osama bin Laden with a digital laser gun. And Rush Limbaugh never challenges Al Gore for global supremacy.
Still, the exhibit engagingly revives an era when ideological choices were simpler — and when Rochester invented heroes that the rest of the nation eagerly followed.
SLOW@DemocratandChronicle.com
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/
WANG! ZAP! KAWUNNGG!
Superman, Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk are sweating bullets at Strong National Museum of Play.
Can they protect Rochester against malevolent mutants and scaly-skinned slimeballs? The fate of local family entertainment hangs in the balance.
"American Comic Book Heroes," Strong's latest exhibit, explores superheroes' 70-year crusade against unspeakable forces of evil. And wouldn't you know? One of their first creators was a Rochester cartoonist who learned his craft at Franklin High School.
But before hearing his incredible tale, let's have a brief word from our sponsor. Strong developed this exhibit to show how comic book characters influence children's play activities. It also reveals the historical forces that shaped superheroes' battle against world dominators.
"These characters leap from the pages of comic books into kids' imaginations," says Jon-Paul Dyson, Strong's vice president for exhibit research and development. "Kids go from reading to becoming these superheroes in their play. They can also explore concepts of good and evil in a very safe way."
The exhibit draws from Strong's collection of vintage comic books and associated products.
A glum-looking Superman doll brandishes fists like sledgehammers. A video game shows Captain America enjoying his special brand of vengeance — kick-boxing his enemies, then shooting them full of arrows.
That feisty attitude was fostered by powerful historical forces. Superman and Captain America emerged in the late 1930s and early 1940s, as America fought its way out of the Great Depression, only to confront a growing threat of fascism in Europe and Asia.
"Before we even entered World War II, one comic book shows Captain America slugging Hitler in the jaw," Dyson says. Captain America's inventor was Rochester native Joe Simon, now a 96-year-old Manhattanite. He started out as art director for Franklin High's school newspaper and later freelanced for a New York City magazine. There he met Jack Kirby, a young Jewish cartoonist. They formed a long creative partnership that produced Captain America, The Fly and the new genre of romance comics.
-->(2 of 2)
Captain America was precisely the ultra-patriotic cheerleader needed in wartime, earning his inventors lucrative contracts. But their collaboration ended after 1954, when the comic book industry imposed a censorship code on its members.
triggerAd(2,PaginationPage,7);
"In every instance, good shall triumph over evil," the Comics Code dictated. Since the McCarthy era, the Code's influence has steadily waned. The 1960s saw a new breed of tormented superheroes with dark secrets.
"Spider-Man is plagued by self-doubt," says Dyson. "The Incredible Hulk is overpowered by rage."
The morally pure Captain America, however, lives on in a stirring portrait that Simon drew for this exhibit.
Visitors who prefer family fun to superhero sociology should head straight for the interactive displays.
Try to lift a giant canister of glowing green goo (maybe Kryptonite?). It won't budge until you push a button. A sudden whoosh of gamma rays lets you pick it up with ease.
Ride a jiggly surfboard while chasing Dr. Dread and his flying nuclear bandits on a video screen. It's not for the faint of stomach.
Compared to early comic books, today's pulp heroism is largely apolitical. No one zaps Osama bin Laden with a digital laser gun. And Rush Limbaugh never challenges Al Gore for global supremacy.
Still, the exhibit engagingly revives an era when ideological choices were simpler — and when Rochester invented heroes that the rest of the nation eagerly followed.
SLOW@DemocratandChronicle.com
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/
« Kim’s Story Page 2 Online Book Review: Your Career in the Comics by Lee Nordling
Published by Andrews and McMeel out of Kansas City, Nordling, a cartoonist, has compiled a comprehensive look at the world of cartooning as a profession with details described by the greats: Charles Schulz, Bill Watterson, Cathy Guisewite, Lynn Johnston…the list goes on and on, including staff of the comics publishing houses.
The great thing about the book, besides the quotes about how to best handle your property, is the collection of appendixes in which you get Syndicate Guidelines and Format Guides for color indication and Sunday strips.
With a discussion about the cartoonists’ role in the syndicate world, whether an independent representative or the newspaper, you learn more about what your position is in the field of cartooning and why the syndicate is your friend, submitting your strips to the newspapers around the world.
You learn about the creative freedom you may, or may not, have with your feature strip, including everything from the process, submission, development, and contract with the syndicate.
To quote the book, “Talent is what you can use, abuse or overcome.” I learned through this in depth look at the world of comic strips the ‘behind the scenes’ that you always wonder about but never knew to ask: Do I need an attorney when I get the contract? Do I own my characters, or the syndicate; what allows me more money? Can I do other features and sell them to the papers through a separate syndicate?
For hardly any money spent, you will finally get the education you need for selling your comic strip. Now, I need to get busy working on my submission package.
You can buy Your Career in the Comics here. ISBN# 0-8362-0748-3 $9.95
The great thing about the book, besides the quotes about how to best handle your property, is the collection of appendixes in which you get Syndicate Guidelines and Format Guides for color indication and Sunday strips.
With a discussion about the cartoonists’ role in the syndicate world, whether an independent representative or the newspaper, you learn more about what your position is in the field of cartooning and why the syndicate is your friend, submitting your strips to the newspapers around the world.
You learn about the creative freedom you may, or may not, have with your feature strip, including everything from the process, submission, development, and contract with the syndicate.
To quote the book, “Talent is what you can use, abuse or overcome.” I learned through this in depth look at the world of comic strips the ‘behind the scenes’ that you always wonder about but never knew to ask: Do I need an attorney when I get the contract? Do I own my characters, or the syndicate; what allows me more money? Can I do other features and sell them to the papers through a separate syndicate?
For hardly any money spent, you will finally get the education you need for selling your comic strip. Now, I need to get busy working on my submission package.
You can buy Your Career in the Comics here. ISBN# 0-8362-0748-3 $9.95
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Muslim cartoonist tackles social and political issues
By Electa Draper
The Denver Post
Nigar Nazar is a Muslim cartoonist — perhaps the only woman cartoonist in Pakistan — whose work tackles social and political issues via the life of a pixie-faced woman who represents the educated, self-confident urban Pakistani (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
Gogi is mostly "on the receiving end of the joke that is life," Nazar says. She deflects the onslaught with womanly humor.
The Denver Post
Nigar Nazar is a Muslim cartoonist — perhaps the only woman cartoonist in Pakistan — whose work tackles social and political issues via the life of a pixie-faced woman who represents the educated, self-confident urban Pakistani (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
COLORADO SPRINGS — Pakistan can be difficult terrain for a female Muslim cartoonist whose alter ego, Gogi, has comments in the bubble above her head on everything from male chauvinism to suicide bombers.
Gogi is a long-lashed, short-coiffed, polka dot-wearing, pixie-faced modern Pakistani woman. She is a bit like "Blondie" and a bit like Oprah — except devoutly Muslim.
Gogi creator Nigar Nazar, the first and, as far as she knows, "only woman cartoonist of Pakistan and very likely the entire Muslim world," says Gogi represents the educated and self-confident urban Pakistani.
Gogi is a long-lashed, short-coiffed, polka dot-wearing, pixie-faced modern Pakistani woman. She is a bit like "Blondie" and a bit like Oprah — except devoutly Muslim.
Gogi creator Nigar Nazar, the first and, as far as she knows, "only woman cartoonist of Pakistan and very likely the entire Muslim world," says Gogi represents the educated and self-confident urban Pakistani.
Gogi is mostly "on the receiving end of the joke that is life," Nazar says. She deflects the onslaught with womanly humor.
"Gogi is that ray of hope in a male-dominated country where she has to brave it . . . with a tough exterior while not losing her feminine grace, charm and intelligence," Nazar said.
Based in Islamabad, Nazar is lecturing at Colorado College through Oct. 24 with the Fulbright Visiting Specialist program. She hopes to help Americans deepen what she suspects is a typically one-dimensional perception of Islamic society and culture.
An exhibit of Nazar's work is at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center through Wednesday.
Nazar, whose father worked in the foreign service, spent several years in America as a young girl.
"It was long enough to get me hooked on comics," she said.
Gogi began as a daily comic strip in a Pakistan newspaper called The Sun in 1970, when Nazar was 22. She also animated a cartoon for Karachi Television about that time.
Nazar later freelanced for The Herald monthly before publishing books of Gogi cartoons, the first in 1975.
Gogi's style is usually gentle. She points out in one strip that the traditional headscarf, the chaddar, actually has advantages, such as hiding one from creditors.
Gogi and friend once remarked on the disparate
Based in Islamabad, Nazar is lecturing at Colorado College through Oct. 24 with the Fulbright Visiting Specialist program. She hopes to help Americans deepen what she suspects is a typically one-dimensional perception of Islamic society and culture.
An exhibit of Nazar's work is at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center through Wednesday.
Nazar, whose father worked in the foreign service, spent several years in America as a young girl.
"It was long enough to get me hooked on comics," she said.
Gogi began as a daily comic strip in a Pakistan newspaper called The Sun in 1970, when Nazar was 22. She also animated a cartoon for Karachi Television about that time.
Nazar later freelanced for The Herald monthly before publishing books of Gogi cartoons, the first in 1975.
Gogi's style is usually gentle. She points out in one strip that the traditional headscarf, the chaddar, actually has advantages, such as hiding one from creditors.
Gogi and friend once remarked on the disparate
reaction to male births and female births. When a son is born, the father passes out cigars. When a daughter is born, a father simply passes out. "That was my first meaningful cartoon," Nazar said.
Newspaper editors in Pakistan are not always receptive to Gogi as a mouthpiece for modern urban women, she said.
"I don't do political cartoons until I get very, very angry," Nazar said. "And then they don't get published. Now I can put them on my website" — gogicomics.com.
However, Nazar draws the line at parodies of Islam.
"I would never dream of doing anything disrespectful to Islam," she said. "I wouldn't make a cartoon about the prophet. I wouldn't do one of Jesus Christ, either."
On most other topics, Gogi rarely is silenced for long. Nazar's social messages on everything from sexual harassment to equal education opportunities eventually began appearing on the sides of buses in Islamabad and Lahore.
"I took it out of the newspapers and onto the streets," Nazar said. "With the illiteracy rates in Pakistan, cartoons are a good way to get messages across."
Through Gogi, Nazar has tackled topics such as AIDs, arranged marriages, domestic violence, government corruption and sectarian strife.
Nazar, along with characters other than Gogi, also has helped with health and hygiene illustrations for UNICEF. She's written and drawn children's storybooks on the environment, such as "The Garbage Monster." She's painted hospital murals and illustrated comic books to help children avoid recruitment as suicide bombers.
"There are problems," Nazar said. "It's how you approach them, in a creative way."
She recently held a workshop on cartooning at a retreat for girls in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where the Taliban had blown up some schools and threatened female students. The Taliban there surrendered to Pakistani troops in mid-September.
Newspaper editors in Pakistan are not always receptive to Gogi as a mouthpiece for modern urban women, she said.
"I don't do political cartoons until I get very, very angry," Nazar said. "And then they don't get published. Now I can put them on my website" — gogicomics.com.
However, Nazar draws the line at parodies of Islam.
"I would never dream of doing anything disrespectful to Islam," she said. "I wouldn't make a cartoon about the prophet. I wouldn't do one of Jesus Christ, either."
On most other topics, Gogi rarely is silenced for long. Nazar's social messages on everything from sexual harassment to equal education opportunities eventually began appearing on the sides of buses in Islamabad and Lahore.
"I took it out of the newspapers and onto the streets," Nazar said. "With the illiteracy rates in Pakistan, cartoons are a good way to get messages across."
Through Gogi, Nazar has tackled topics such as AIDs, arranged marriages, domestic violence, government corruption and sectarian strife.
Nazar, along with characters other than Gogi, also has helped with health and hygiene illustrations for UNICEF. She's written and drawn children's storybooks on the environment, such as "The Garbage Monster." She's painted hospital murals and illustrated comic books to help children avoid recruitment as suicide bombers.
"There are problems," Nazar said. "It's how you approach them, in a creative way."
She recently held a workshop on cartooning at a retreat for girls in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where the Taliban had blown up some schools and threatened female students. The Taliban there surrendered to Pakistani troops in mid-September.
Caricature Competition
Dear CARTOONISTS,
The Indian Institute of Cartonists, Bangalore
is conducting caricature competition
SUBJECTS TO CARICATURISE...
SRI MANMOHAN SINGH &
SMT. SONIA GANDHI
PRIZES : Rs. 1,00,000/-, Rs. 50,000/-, Rs. 10,000/- & Rs. 5,000/-
ENTRIES CAN BE SENT EITHER AS PAPER DRAWING OR BY E-MAIL
DEADLINE : 15.11.2009
Please participate…
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Watford Observer cartoonist Terry Challis has died
Warm tributes have been paid to Watford Observer cartoonist Terry Challis, who has died aged 74.
Terry’s cartoons were an established part of this newspaper’s coverage of events on and off the pitch at Watford FC for more than 30 years, and his work will be known to and remembered affectionately by thousands of Hornets fans.
Former Watford Observer sports editor and Watford FC communications manager Andrew French has been among those to pay tribute to his former colleague, who passed away on Thursday, describing him as a “wonderful bloke”.
“Some people are lucky enough to be born with one God-given talent – Terry was blessed with two: he was an incredible artist and a naturally funny man,” Andrew said. “Watford supporters were able to enjoy both those skills through his famous cartoons, the like of which were – and still are - unrivalled. He had the knack of empathising with fans, sharing their highs and lows.
“It was a privilege – not to mention great fun – to work alongside him during my time at both the Watford Observer and Watford FC. I cannot think of anyone who made me laugh harder.
“Quite simply, Terry Challis was a wonderful bloke.”
Terry’s funeral will be held at 3pm on Wednesday, October 21 at West Herts Crematorium. No flowers are requested.
A selection of Terry’s cartoons will be featured in a tribute to him in this Friday’s Watford Observer.
Terry’s cartoons were an established part of this newspaper’s coverage of events on and off the pitch at Watford FC for more than 30 years, and his work will be known to and remembered affectionately by thousands of Hornets fans.
Former Watford Observer sports editor and Watford FC communications manager Andrew French has been among those to pay tribute to his former colleague, who passed away on Thursday, describing him as a “wonderful bloke”.
“Some people are lucky enough to be born with one God-given talent – Terry was blessed with two: he was an incredible artist and a naturally funny man,” Andrew said. “Watford supporters were able to enjoy both those skills through his famous cartoons, the like of which were – and still are - unrivalled. He had the knack of empathising with fans, sharing their highs and lows.
“It was a privilege – not to mention great fun – to work alongside him during my time at both the Watford Observer and Watford FC. I cannot think of anyone who made me laugh harder.
“Quite simply, Terry Challis was a wonderful bloke.”
Terry’s funeral will be held at 3pm on Wednesday, October 21 at West Herts Crematorium. No flowers are requested.
A selection of Terry’s cartoons will be featured in a tribute to him in this Friday’s Watford Observer.
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