In places including China, Iran and Cuba, speaking or reporting truth to those in power often lands you in jail or worse.
The press serves not as the fourth estate, but as a wing of the executive branch.
How ironic, then, that two internationally renowned cartoonists ? one jailed, both harassed by their governments for penning cartoons critical of the elite in their home countries ? criticized the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, on Sunday for publishing in September the now-infamous Mohammed cartoons.
Cuban-born cartoonist Gustavo Rodriguez and Iranian-born cartoonist Nikahang Kowsar condemned the publication of the cartoons at a discussion at the Walters Art Museum. Kevin “Kal” Kallagher, Economist cartoonist and former Sun cartoonist whose works are on exhibition at the Walters, moderated the discussion.
Rodriguez tried to evade the question of whether the Danish paper should have published the cartoons. He said publishing the cartoons “is not good or bad ? it?s opportunistic.” That sounds close to bad ? but he did not explain what he meant.
He also took issue with the artistic value of the cartoons, noting that only “two or three were any good.”
That?s fine, but the real issue surrounding the 12 cartoons has little to do with art and almost everything to do with message.
One of the most frequently referenced depicts the prophet Mohammed with a bomb with a lit fuse in his turban. The Islamic creed embosses the bomb.
Another shows Mohammed on a cloud in heaven yelling, “Stop, stop we have run out of virgins!” to a group of suicide bombers, in reference to the 70 virgins apiece “martyrs” are said to receive.
Disturbingly, Kowsar, a Muslim who fled Iran to Canada after being jailed for criticizing clerics, said the cartoons should not have been published because of the content.
His reasoning: “If you insult the religion it is different than insulting people in the religion.” And insulting religion is taboo, he said.
But his logic does not hold up to scrutiny.
He said cartoons lampooning Christ are fine because they actually make fun of Christians. But depicting Mohammed in a cartoon insults Islam.
That makes no sense. If satirical cartoons of Mohammed insult Islam, satirical cartoons of Christ must, under his logic, insult Christianity.
And since when did religion become a taboo topic for humor?
And what does it say about the future of free expression when those who have risked their lives for the ideal condemn its practice in others?
That sounds remarkably close to the “free speech for me but not for thee” that governments around the world practice.
Their actions speak louder than their words, though.
Forced to choose between complacency and truth, both chose the courageous route. American counterparts must make the same choice, but never with their lives, or those of their families, at stake.
Kowsar works to win a visa to Canada for his wife and child.
Rodriguez argues for political asylum in the United States in court this week. In the meantime, he sets up tents and scaffolding for an events company in Miami and draws on the side.
“I would like to make my living as a cartoonist,” he said. “I think I can do it. I have the will to be one.”
