2007 Bangladesh cartoon controversy

The 2007 Bangladesh cartoon controversy began after an editorial cartoon was published in the 431st edition of "Alpin" ( _bn. আলপিন), a featured supplement of the Bangladeshi newspaper "Prothom Alo", on 17 September 2007. The cartoon featured a conversation between an elderly man and a boy culminating in the boy making a joke using the name of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7006528.stm |title=Violence over Bangladesh cartoon |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-09-21 |accessdate=2007-09-25]

Bangladeshi Muslim organisations, who objected to the cartoon, responded by holding public protests which led to violence and street clashes, even though such demonstrations have been banned by the interim caretaker government. Arifur Rahman, the author of the cartoon, was arrested and detained while the publishers have publicly apologised.cite news |url=http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=57840 |title=Prothom Alo ordered to suspend 'Alpin' publication |publisher=The Independent |date=2007-09-25 |accessdate=2007-09-25]

Controversy

On 17 September 2007, a cartoon titled "Naam" (Name) was published in the 431st edition of "Alpin". The cartoon, by 20 year old cartoonist Arifur Rahman, featured a conversation between an elderly man and a boy and the controversy is regarding the text rather than the pictures as had been the case in previous such incidents. When the boy was asked what his name was he omitted the prefix "Muhammad", used by some Muslims to show respect to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The elder informed him that he should use the prefix in front of all names. In the final strip, the man asked the boy what was in his lap to which he replied "Muhammad cat".cite news |url=http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1189959282159&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout |title=Anti-Prophet Cartoon in Bangladesh |publisher=IslamOnline |date=2007-09-20 |accessdate=2007-09-25]

The country's mainly Muslim population regarded the publication of the cartoon in their holy month of Ramadhan as a deliberate attempt to ridicule Muhammad, who is highly revered by Muslims, and ignite unrest in the country. Demonstrations were held the following day in major cities, even though such protests were made unlawful by the interim caretaker government earlier in 2007.cite news |url=http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/search_index.php?page=detail_news&news_id=11999 |title='Alpin' cartoon protesters clash with police |publisher=The Financial Express |date=2007-09-22 |accessdate=2007-09-25] Formal representations were made by Muslim leaders to the government during meetings held on 18 September with calls for revoking the license of the newspaper, "Prothom Alo". The government banned the sale of the 431st issue and instructed the authorities to seize all printed copies while urging the public to exercise self-restraint, and ordered the arrest of the author.

In a statement released by "Prothom Alo", the editor of "Alpin", Matiur Rahman, apologised expressing regret for publishing the cartoon.cite news |url=http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=57557 |title=Cartoonist Liton arrested |publisher=The Independent |date=2007-09-25 |accessdate=2007-09-25] He stated that the "unedited, unapproved and unacceptable" cartoon is being withdrawn and would be "taking actions against the persons responsible". However, religious clerics of the country continued their outcry and demanded the arrest of Matiur Rahman and "Prothom Alo's" publisher, Mahfuz Anam.

The controversy took a further twist when bloggers uncovered a similar cartoon published by Chattra Shibir, the Student wing of the Bangladeshi Islamist party, Jamaat-E-Islami. In the November 1998 edition of "Kishore Kantha" , a student's submission was published which portrayed a similar picture except that instead of a cat, a vegetable was used in the punchline in response to the question, "What has your mum cooked today?"

References

External links

* [http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:eCxNTU_XGCYJ:etwister.net/alpin_index.php+Alpin+Prothom+Alo&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1 Alpin Archive]
* [http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/09/18/bangladesh-yet-another-muhammed-cartoon-controversy/ Global Voice online blog]
* [http://newsfeedresearcher.com/data/articles_w38/idw2007.09.21.19.31.34.html NewsFeed Researcher]