Weekday Squib: The cartoon and the parliamentary resolution
Who said being a political cartoonist was an easy job?
Bill Garner, op-ed page cartoonist at the Washington Times got more than he bargained for with his take on the arrest of Abu Faraj al Libbi. The Pakistani government took ’strong notice’ of the cartoon and described it as ‘contemptuous’ and ‘an insult to the sentiments of the people both in Pakistan and the US as it strengthens the hands of extremists’. The Pakistani parliament deemed it necessary to pass a unanimous resolution in protest while the country’s religious opposition parties, duly strengthened, have called for nationwide protests (and for Musharraf’s resignation). And yes, the Pakistani ambassador to the United States has been tasked with the uneviable task of raising this with the US authorities, and failing a satisfactory response, to ’send a legal notice and pursue the matter in court’. Even Nawaz Sharif, from his exile in Saudi Arabia, is reportedly worried that such a cartoon has come to be printed under Musharraf’s watch.
A dog’s life (and times): In an unexpected “tribute” to the long reach of the influence of this newspaper, the Pakistani parliament adopted, unanimously, a resolution decrying Mr. Garner’s cartoon, and the Pakistani embassy has protested “an insult to the sentiments of the people of both Pakistan and the United States as it strengthens the hands of the extremists.” This imputes more power to a mere newspaper than any newspaper deserves, but we take the embassy’s point and offer the assurance that no insult was intended. Other Pakistani politicians have demanded an apology from no less than the president of the United States. The suggestion that any American newspaper speaks for the government or a president betrays a profound ignorance of how America works. If an American president could prevent newspaper cartoonists from insulting, reviling, abusing, affronting and “dissing” politicians, he would not exercise this power in behalf of anyone but himself. Newspaper cartoonists have been insulting, reviling, abusing, affronting and “dissing” presidents for more than a century, and all that presidents can do about it is grin, bear it and ask for the originals, for framing and display on desk or wall.For his part, Mr. Garner, who admires Pakistan and, we might as well say it, loves old hounds, meant no offense or injury… And if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll be careful about what he says about cats. [Washington Times]
I tried looking for the cartoon, has someone been able to find it in the archives?
Here is the link to the cartoon.
[...] London bomber said Newsweek story made him do it. The London 7/7 bomber said what made him want to kill “crusaders” was the Newsweek story. By Anonymous at July 24, 2005 – 4:16am | reply to this comment You need therapy Really, seek help soon. The world is not run by Karl Rove. He is not the wizard of oz, he does not control a mass conspiracy, and he was not on the grassy knoll in 1963. If your approach is the best the Left can do it is no wonder the Democrat party is headed the way of the Whigs. By Anonymous at May 21, 2005 – 4:59am | reply to this comment Remember NEWSWEEK and Clinton Scandals? Funny, isn’t it how NEWSWEEK held up publication of the Clinton sex scandals even though the stories were solid. Yet, when it comes to smearing the US military, wow! they are fast. No holdup here. No bias here either, sure. By Anonymous at May 21, 2005 – 4:56am | reply to this comment Toilet The main problem I have with the Qu’ran down the toilet story is that it would have to be one giant toilet to flush a book down! Even if you ripped out all the pages and shredded them into confetti, you’d probably have to flush several times to keep the toilet from clogging. It’s not that I’m against flushing the Qu’ran down the toilet, mind you, along with the Bible and the Torah. However I am opposed to that being done by any agent of the government. Flushing down lies is a private act between you, the document and the toilet – government involvement is strictly forbidden. By greenboy at May 17, 2005 – 5:17pm | reply to this comment did you miss this one? Cartoon here. Story here. Note that this antedates the Newsweek story. By Anonymous at May 16, 2005 – 3:11pm | reply to this comment Newsweek This has all the trappings of a Karl Rove ploy. There can be no doubt that the story is true. There is also no doubt that the riots that occurred did NOT occur solely because of the Newsweek story. Most people in Afghanistan are scratching for their next meal and merely to survive. They’re not reading “Newsweek.” The riots have been publicized BECAUSE of the Newsweek article because this entire thing is a staged event like the CBS memo. The source for the story mysteriously recanted and then Newsweek had to back off. The ultimate purpose of this cynical ploy by Rove is to establish in the minds of the American people that war reporting is DANGEROUS and therefore the press should not be reporting on the war and particularly, on the illegal and inhuman activities of the U.S. military. Sheesh…fool me once… By Anonymous at May 16, 2005 – 8:28am | reply to this comment [...]