Iranian Cartoonist To Be Whipped For Drawing Iranian Member of Parliament in a Soccer Jersey
- Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:15pm by
Mytheos Holt
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When it comes to free speech, Iran is famously behind the times. But even for their usual level of barbarism, this story is just ridiculous.
Before we go any further, let me pose a question to readers: If a drawing similar to the one below were done of you, would you consider it remotely offensive?
Probably not, right? It actually kind of looks like the sort of caricature you’d find being drawn at a county fair for tourists. And it’s not as though the person in the drawing depicts its subject doing something embarrassing, like eating the soccer ball.
Well, apparently Iranian politicians are more easily offended than your average American. A lot more easily offended. Because this simple drawing has gotten its artist convicted of an undisclosed crime, for which he will be punished by being whipped 25 times across his back. MSNBC provides some context:
Now, Iranian cartoonist Mahmoud Shokrayeh has been sentenced to 25 lashes because he drew a caricature of Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani, a member of the Iranian parliament, wearing a soccer jersey.
One thing interesting about Shokrayeh’s cartoon is the dark skinned mark on Lotfi Ashtiani’s forehead. In Islamic countries, this is the sign of “praying too much”. Rubbing the forehead on the ground during prayer for years and years does this. You can see it on many Islamist leaders’ faces.
Last week, while attending UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day’s conference in Tunis, I noticed the Tunisian prime minister had been praying too too much. A Tunisian cartoonist present at the conference, drawing live on a pad, intentionally drew the dark mark on the prime minister’s forehead. Including this interesting religious symbol in his cartoon might have been seen by the Iranian court as insulting.
Now, Iranian cartoonists who are living outside of Iran, in solidarity with their colleague, are drawing caricatures of the insulted MP Lotfi Ashtian.
And if you’re wondering why the artist drew MP Ashtian in a soccer jersey? Turns out there’s a perfectly innocent explanation for that, too:
Why did Shokraiyeh draw the MP in a soccer jersey? The MP was interested in bringing soccer clubs to the city of Arak.
So let’s recap – for the crime of drawing a member of parliament in a pose that suggests success at one of his signature policy initiatives, this artist is going to be lashed just because the member in question was offended. The question raised by this is obvious: Just what on earth can you draw in Iran?
H/T: Deadspin
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1WhoQuestions
Posted on May 11, 2012 at 9:58amGood thing the editorial cartoonists live here. They’d likely all be dead by now. Fro that matter, Gary Larson of The Far Side fame probably wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Report Post »Truthbeliever2
Posted on May 11, 2012 at 11:17amWe’ll eventually be whipping cartoonists and media personalities that “get out of hand” here in the U.S. too. I firmly believe it’s only a matter of time.
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on May 11, 2012 at 5:35amMy Muslim neighbor dresses like this all the time. His wife and two daughters, of course, have all arms and legs completely covered. Mom must also make sure that no one can see her hair.
Report Post »Servant Of YHVH
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 10:52pmCmon. The only sensible thing to do in this case is draw Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani in pink dotted Victoria’s Secret lingerie. Make a different picture like that of him in different outfits, on picture for every lash this artist gets!
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 9:54pmpray for these people in iran. the propoganda out there and those poor children raised in islam…I just feel so sad for them living under their awful governement. Hopefully something will be done soon to stop the nuclear program and topple this current iranian government. the world has been so slow on this we have allowed it to go on so long.
Report Post »SHOWMESTATEGUY
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 9:06pmAnd Iran is a country that Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barrak Obama hold up to America as something we should aspire to. If anyone can figure out the dem libs of America let the rest of us know what the deal is.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 8:00pmPower in the hands of Primative People leads to,,, EVIL!
Report Post »IDONTTHINKSO
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:58pmActually, this is a trend that might catch on here in the US if things don’t start getting better!
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:53pmI like it when muslims beat on each other – the more vicious, the better! Bleed, Baby, Bleed!
Gotta go, I’ve got a koran on the grill.
Report Post »stumpy68
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 11:15pmBetter than wood pellets any day
Report Post »zoro51
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:10pmgee murdering muslums dont like women kids elderly or art WOW and its a PEACEFUL RELIGION.. AHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH its a MAN MADE CULT of hate n death… and THIS is news worthy HOW?????
Report Post »trueamerican40
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 6:17pmWhat do Iranian clerics do for ‘holy’ entertainment? They molest children. I am sick of talking about Iran. Israel–bomb Iran back to the 7th. century–bet you they’ll create a meeker image of allah then. Can you imagine what these clerics will do with an improvised nuke instead of a whip?!
Report Post »FromSeaToSea
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 6:10pmThis is none of Americas business.
If the Iranian people want freedom they can overthrow the gov..
Until then, Americans need to butt out.
Americans have enought to battle with the marxist regime in power.
Report Post »Shasta
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 6:51pmThe Iranian people (Green Movement) did try to overthrow their government and pleaded to Obama for our help. But Obama ignored their pleas saying he did not want to ‘meddle’ in the Iranian government’s business. It became our business right then and there.
Report Post »akairey
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 7:29pm@ Shasta–you’re 100% correct! But Obama couldn’t keep our noses away from Libya nor Uganda. He’s choosing and picking! Not for what’s right and wrong.
Report Post »Scott Bieser
Posted on May 15, 2012 at 5:23pmOnce, the United States did intervene in Iranian politics. At the behest of British Petroleum, the CIA destabilized the democratic and progressive Mossadegh government in 1954, and installed Shah Reza Palavi as dictator. The Shah put together a domestic police force just as brutal as the current Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and imprisoned and executed many thousands of Iranians, with U.S. tacit approval, before he was finally overthrown in 1978 by the mullahs.
It was U.S. support for the Shah and other brutal Middle Eastern dictators (in exchange for favorable treatment of Western oil companies) over the decades that drove oppressed Arabs and Persians to the Mullahs for a way out of their predicament. Even though in most cases they just leaped from the frying pan into the fire. Nevertheless, any Iranian rebellion today would be instantly discredited by any public support from the United States.
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:56pmAnd The Republicans gave us NDAA,The Patriot Act,HR 347,and CISPA for Obama to use against us.Very nice of them to worry about gay marriage instead.
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 6:06pmBiden introduced the bill called the Omnibus Counterterrorism Act of 1995. It previewed the 2001 Patriot Act by allowing secret evidence to be used in prosecutions, expanding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and wiretap laws, creating a new federal crime of “terrorism” that could be invoked based on political beliefs, permitting the U.S. military to be used in civilian law enforcement, and allowing permanent detection of non-U.S. citizens without judicial review. The Center for National Security Studies said the bill would erode “constitutional and statutory due process protections” and would “authorize the Justice Department to pick and choose crimes to investigate and prosecute based on political beliefs and associations.”
…do your ALL of your homework Smokey, don’t cherry pick facts.
Report Post »Epic Fail
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:32pmFor all those liberals crying about waterboarding. Where are they now? Really, would you rather be waterboarded or take 25 lashes across the back? Where is the world wide outcry? Where is the UN? An this guy isn’t even a hardend murderous terrorist. He is a freaking cartoonist!!!!
Report Post »let us prey
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:30pmJust 25?
Report Post »the_united_states_of_britain
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:28pmjust stick to drawing jews being lynched from trees. you silly iranians.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 5:21pmAnd these are the people we and Israel are going to *talk* to and *reason* with about their nuclear intentions toward us.
Yep, that’ll work.
Report Post »Mark0331
Posted on May 10, 2012 at 6:03pmGot to love the peaceful, tolerant Muslim….they always show us their kindness and compassion for their fellow man and of course, their women…
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