"Regional Focus Middle East & Northern Africa ".. (Cartoonists on the Line

"It’s sad to say that threats have become quite normal in ‘open’ debate, on social media and internet. Not a week goes by without getting hate mail, mostly anonymous. At first it is threatening, but nowadays it’s merely background noise - which is a bit alarming. If hate mail is considered ‘normal’ behaviour towards cartoonists or journalists, then what is the next step? It’s a slippery slope towards actual violence. "

Lectrr (Belgium)35

Publication Date: 29.05.2024, Wednesday Reference: Francisco Puñal Suárez

There are endless topics that whip up such emotions. Besides widespread and apparently spontaneous outcry from internet users, we can see a wilful intention to do harm, often in service of a political agenda, when accusing cartoonists of hateful sentiments, obscenity, or disrespect.

Such has been the case for Espé (France)37 or Xavier Gorce France)38, Bianca Xunise (USA)39, Boris (Canada)40, Béla Weisz (Hungary)41, and Zehra Ömeroğlu (Türkiye - see dedicated sectionsee dedicated section). Without forgetting, of course, what happened to Charlie Hebdo42

Regional focus

Middle East & Northern Africa

Dounia Benslimane, Moroccan cultural operator, member of the executive board of the NGO Freemuse Draw me democracy...

Since the fall of presidents Ben Ali (Tunisia) and Mubarak (Egypt) in 011, the MENA region has seen a steady stream of revendications, and the buds of the Arab Spring still trying to blossom.

Dario, (Mexico)

Definitions vary, but between thirteen and twenty-seven43 countries belong to it. These are multi-ethnic and multi-faith societies.44 Only a few Gulf countries and Israel are in the category of nations with a very high Human Development Index HDI).45 An unprecedented economic crisis, exacerbated by COVID-19, has marked recent years46 despite the region’s unique growth otential47, rich in resources and young human capital48.

Political instability and armed conflicts are legion under regimes that are largely non-democratic and often singled out by human rights activists49 for repression, injustice, and the silencing of dissident voices.

Artists and media, and cartoonists at the crossroads of the two disciplines, try to resist all forms of repression, from censorship to executions, and to fight against corruption, discrimination, injustice and radicalism. Whether it’s Nime and Dilem in Algeria, the Hajjaj brothers. in Jordan, Reza Aghili in Iran, Saabaaneh in Palestine, Khalid Albaih in Sudan, or Ashraf Hamdi50 in Egypt, at least they face censorhip but some of them are victims of the infernal machine of repression, sometimes backed by liberticidal laws.

Censored or blacklisted, accused of treason, of undermining state security, the head of state, religion or the values of the nation, some go into exile while others dream of it. Economic insecurity, fear for oneself and one’s family, isolation and deteriorating health are just some of the reasons that hamper the freedom of the region’s cartoonists.51 Many continue to wield their pens for greater justice, dignity and freedom in their communities

(there is more..)

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