Monday, November 07, 2005

Cartoon Violence

After looking at the staggering number of responses(all of two) in my previous article I have returned again.See??I am like a bad penny!I keep coming back.This time i am back with more depressing news-it is an article I read in The Telegraph today,and i have quoted it word for word in the following lines-
London, Nov. 6: Iranian state television has broadcast a cartoon that glorifies suicide bombings against Israelis, depicting a young boy blowing himself up after being told: “Go and show the Zionists how brave and heroic are the children of Palestine.”
The cartoon, one of a series shown by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting on “Jerusalem Day” nine days ago, presents the actions of a boy who kills himself to strike back against Israelis as an example for children to follow.
More professionally produced and graphic than previous Iranian propaganda aimed at children, the cartoon appears to be part of a campaign led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to elevate the issue of the destruction of Israel. The day before it was aired, he declared at a World Without Zionism conference: “This stain of disgrace (Israel) will be wiped off the face of the world — and this is attainable.”
His comments were greeted with outrage in the West and prompted Tony Blair to suggest that military action might be required against Iran if progress towards a nuclear bomb continued.
At the start of the 10-minute animation, Abd al-Rahman, a Palestinian youth, watches as Israeli soldiers murder his family. They are seen laughing as they strike his mother in the face with a rifle butt and then shoot his father.
Abd comforts his sister and weeps, declaring: “Oh God, I must take revenge upon these bloodthirsty aggressors, who murdered my father, mother and brother.” His cousin Karim introduces him to a neighbour’s son, Jassem, who is a member of a “resistance group”.
Jassem instructs the boys to take part in an attack against Israeli soldiers, applauding their “deep faith” and telling them that they “may become martyrs”. Abd’s aunt bids the boys a tearful farewell. “Go, my children. Go and show the Zionists how brave and heroic are the children of Palestine.”
As he lies in wait, Abd ties a string of grenades around his waist. The convoy approaches and the film s hows satanic-faced Israeli soldiers sitting in a lorry around an ammunition box decorated with a Star of David.
Abd shouts: “I place my trust in God. Allah Akbar”, pulls the grenade pins and leaps onto the lorry. When the smoke clears, the bodies of Abd, the Israeli troops and the attackers are strewn around the road.

A young Palestinian boy then walks over to Abd’s body, takes his bloodstained keffiyeh head-dress, drapes it over his own shoulders and walks off into the sunset.

In case you were one of those people who do not like to read the papers other than to know about the latest Bollywood actress' nipple slip and team Chappell's exploits then allow me to introduce President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran-this new president had recently called on all the true believers to wipe out israel from the face of the planet.When criticized by other countries for this comment he responded by kicking out their ambassadors from his country.The icing on the cake?Iran is a nuclear power.
A Hitler wasnt enough for us to learn lessons in violence.Saddam is on trial but the world isnt safer by even the longest shot.
I just dont know what to say or think when i read something like this.

2 Comments:

Blogger Rohan said...

Ahmadnejad is hardly that far off in reflecting the views of the middle east. Perhaps the difference being that when Iran speaks, people listen. The atrocities in the rest of the middle east rarely make news, the reasons for which we all know.

It's a bit odd, though. We are all so selective in our view of the world, and atrocities are no exception. In 1991, when Hutus openly slaughtered Tutsis with over a million dead, did anybody care? Most people who read this don't even know where this was. Does anybody care what the situation is now?

Iran executed 2 boys a few months ago on charges of sodomy, and the EU considered the amnesty pleas of boys who almost certainly would have been executed if deported. How many others were executed, nobody knows. Did this make the news around the world? Does anybody even care?

For that matter, why point fingers at iran? It's like this closer to home.

12:10 AM  
Blogger Aditya Saraogi said...

I think I know about the Hutus and Tutsis, but only because I watched a movie. And I hardly read the paper now a days and even when I do, it is just to glance through the main stories.
I am not making any point here, but I feel until the fire is in your own home, no one really cares. Everybody would like to talk if they can and express sympathy...

9:34 AM  

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