KashifAsrar
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IN TOON WITH THE TIMES
Iran unveils contest on Holocaust cartoons
Tehran: An international contest of cartoons on the Holocaust opened in Tehran in response to the publication in Western papers last September of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.
ââ¬ÅWe staged this fair to explore the limits of freedom Westerners believe in,ââ¬Â Masoud Shojai, head of the country's ââ¬ÅIran Cartoonââ¬Â association and the fair organiser, said.
ââ¬ÅThey can freely write anything they like about our prophet, but if one raises doubts about the Holocaust he is either fined or sent to prison,ââ¬Â he added.
ââ¬ÅThough we do not deny that fact that Jews were killed in the (second world) war, why should the Palestinians pay for it?ââ¬Â Shojai told the opening ceremony of the monthlong fair in Tehranââ¬â¢s Palestine Contemporary Art Museum. He added that around 1,100 cartoons were submitted by participants from more than 60 countries and that more than 200 are on show.
He said the top three cartoons will be announced on September 2, with the winners being awarded prizes of 12,000, 8,000 and 5,000 dollars respectively.
Shojai did not elaborate on the source of the prize money, but emphasised that it did not come from any governmental body.
The fair is being staged by Iran Cartoon and the country's largest selling newspaper Hamshahri newspaper, which is published by Tehran's conservative municipality. AP
Iran unveils contest on Holocaust cartoons
Tehran: An international contest of cartoons on the Holocaust opened in Tehran in response to the publication in Western papers last September of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.
ââ¬ÅWe staged this fair to explore the limits of freedom Westerners believe in,ââ¬Â Masoud Shojai, head of the country's ââ¬ÅIran Cartoonââ¬Â association and the fair organiser, said.
ââ¬ÅThey can freely write anything they like about our prophet, but if one raises doubts about the Holocaust he is either fined or sent to prison,ââ¬Â he added.
ââ¬ÅThough we do not deny that fact that Jews were killed in the (second world) war, why should the Palestinians pay for it?ââ¬Â Shojai told the opening ceremony of the monthlong fair in Tehranââ¬â¢s Palestine Contemporary Art Museum. He added that around 1,100 cartoons were submitted by participants from more than 60 countries and that more than 200 are on show.
He said the top three cartoons will be announced on September 2, with the winners being awarded prizes of 12,000, 8,000 and 5,000 dollars respectively.
Shojai did not elaborate on the source of the prize money, but emphasised that it did not come from any governmental body.
The fair is being staged by Iran Cartoon and the country's largest selling newspaper Hamshahri newspaper, which is published by Tehran's conservative municipality. AP
