International Holocaust Cartoon Competition

International Holocaust Cartoon Contest was a cartoon competition sponsored by the Iranian newspaper "Hamshahri", to denounce what it called 'Western hypocrisy on freedom of speech'. The event was staged in response to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, [ [http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1280.htm 'Iranian TV Report on International Holocaust Cartoon Contest in Tehran' (Video)] , [http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/1280.htm (Transcripts)] , IRINN, September 20, 2006] and presented the Iranian claim that The Holocaust was a myth. [ [http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1240.htm 'Exhibition of Holocaust Cartoons Opens in Iran' (Video)] , [http://www.memritv.org/clip_transcript/en/1240.htm (Transcripts)] , IRINN, August 17, 2006]

The Contest

On February 6, 2006, Farid Mortazavi, graphics editor of "Hamshahri", announced a competition for cartoons on the Holocaust. The twelve best contributions were to be rewarded with a golden coin each, which were later increased to $5000 to $12000 prizes for the top 3 cartoons and 3 gold coins each for 12 other cartoonists. Later, "Hamshahri" published an English introduction to the contest, as well as preliminary rules. The contest was created in response to the twelve cartoons published by the Danish newspaper "Jyllands-Posten" (see "Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy") to challenge the championing of freedom of speech in the defense of the Jyllands-Posten cartoons. This was done under the notion that those who supported the Jyllands-Posten's right to free speech in matters concerning Islam would be placed in a precarious position were they to condemn the antisemitic cartoons targeted at one of the most sensitive of Jewish topics. In that introductory message for the contest, "Hamshahri" denounced what they called Western hypocrisy on the freedom of speech, alleging that "it is impossible in the West to joke upon or even discuss certain topics related to Judaism, such as the Holocaust, and the pretexts for the creation of Israel."

On February 14, 2006, the editor in chief of "Hamshahri" commented in Persian that "the purpose of establishing such a competition is not to offend or ridicule anyone, but to do a discussion about the realities of the Holocaust." He also indicated that "Hamshahri" tries really hard not to cause pain for anyone and also added that the newspaper has no contention with the Jews in Iran or any other place, but that it has problems with Zionism. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2006/02/060214_he-hamshahri.shtml (Persian), 2006] Masood Shojaei, the director of Iran’s Caricature House which cosponsored the competition also said: "Iran’s Caricature House, as the only technically qualified center involved in the competition regards the holocaust topic as a terrible and saddening issue". [http://www.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=290458 (Persian)] The exhibition put on by The Iran Cartoon Organisation and "Hamshahri" newspaper opened on August 14, 2006.

After the winners were announced in November 2006, Shojaei said the competition would become an annual event. The Associated Press quoted him as saying "Actually, we will continue until the destruction of Israel". [Nasser Karimi: [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003337932_webcartoons01.html Iran names winner of its Holocaust cartoon contest] , "Associated Press", November 2, 2006] However, Shojaei categorically denies that he even spoke to the Associated Press reporter. ["Sheer Lies" [http://irancartoon.com/120/Sheer%20lies/index.htm] ]

Reactions in Iran

Conservatives

Conservative newspapers such as Kayhan and Jomhouri Eslami have hailed the decision by "Hamshahri" for the contest, and their cartoonists, such as Maziyar Bizhani have actively entered the competition.

Reformers

Several reformers criticized the cartoon competition and also the president's statements about the Holocaust. Emadoddin Baghi, a famous member of religious-intellectuals circle, Ebrahim Yazdi, the head of Nehzat Azadi Party, Hamid Reza Jalaeipour, a prominent figure of Islamic Iran Participation Front and Sadeq Zibakalam, a prominent political analyst of the Kargozaran party criticized these new policies by calling them "useless, scientifically-baseless and purely political actions which originates from the authorities' lack of historical knowledge". In an interview with "BBC", Nikahang Kowsar, a former cartoonist for "Hamshahri", said he thought the competition was the wrong approach. "It's a bad reaction to a bad action coming from the Danish newspaper", he told the BBC. He also claimed in his weblog that, "Hamshahri" cartoonists will have a bad fate if they refuse to take part in the competition. [BBC: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4709380.stm Iran paper's Holocaust cartoons] , February 13, 2006]

Reaction outside of Iran

On February 8, Flemming Rose (the cultural editor for "Jyllands-Posten"), told CNN: "My newspaper is trying to establish a contact with that Iranian newspaper "Hamshahri", and we would run the cartoons the same day as they publish them". Later that day, the paper's editor-in-chief said that "Jyllands-posten" would under no circumstances publish the Holocaust cartoons.

On February 14, 2006, the "Hamshahri" website suffered a denial-of-service attack. Simultaneously, the websites of Iran's ministry of education and two major Iranian banks, Sepah Bank and Refah Bank, became inaccessible, as they were all hosted by the same backbone.

That same day, an Israeli group [http://boomka.org/ (link invalid)] announced an anti-semitic cartoon contest open to Jews only. One of the two founders of this group was quoted as saying "We’ll show the world we can do the best, sharpest, most offensive Jew hating cartoons ever published! No Iranian will beat us on our home turf!".

Six of the least controversial cartoons of the International Holocaust Cartoon Competition were republished by Danish Newspaper "Dagbladet Information" on September 8, 2006 after the editor consulted the main rabbi in Copenhagen, [BBC: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5327852.stm Paper reprints Holocaust cartoons] , September 8, 2006] and three cartoons were later reprinted in "Jyllands-Posten" as well. [http://www.jp.dk/login?url=kultur/artikel:aid=3961206 (link invalid)]

The Winners

On November 1, 2006, Abdellah Derkaoui, a Moroccan, was announced as the winner and received the first prize of $12,000. The second prize of $8,000 was divided between the Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff and A. Chard, aka Françoise Pichard (fr.), from France. One prize went to Italy, two prizes to Morocco, one prize to Jordan, one to Syria, three to Brazil, and several prizes went to Iranians. [http://irancartoon.ir/news/archives/2006/11/post_586.php (Persian)]

ee also

*Council for Spreading Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Thoughts
*History of the Jews in Iran
*International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust
*Iran-Israel relations
*Israeli Anti-Semitic Cartoons Contest
*Jews of Iran (documentary film)
*Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
*Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israel
*Persian Jews
*Shiraz blood libel

References

External links

* [http://irancartoon.com/120/holocaust/index.htm The Winners of the Competition] [http://irancartoon.ir/news/archives/2006/11/post_586.php (mirror)]
* [http://irancartoon.ir/ The Iran Cartoon Organisation] (Persian)
* [http://irancartoon.com/ The Iran Cartoon Organisation] (English)