Victory
13-02-06, 14:47
Holocaust cartoon contest kicks off
Tehran, Feb 13 - A contest for cartoons of the holocaust was launched in Iran on Monday.
The first entry was said to be from renowned Australian cartoonist Michael Leunig, according to the website organising the competition with Iran's biggest selling newspaper Hamshahri, triggering outrage in the United States and Germany in particular.
"As a show of solidarity with the Muslim world, and an exercise in free speech, I would like to submit a cartoon to you on the theme of the holocaust," Leunig was quoted as saying in a statment on the Irancartoon.com website.
"I have had some difficulty getting this work published in my own country, and I believe it would help highlight the hypocrisy of the West's attitude to free speech if you were to publish it," the Melbourne-based Leunig was quoted as saying.
Hamshahri, which is published by Tehran's municipality, said the contest was officially launched on Monday with the title "what is the limit on freedom of expression in the West?" Its graphics editor Farid Mortazavi said earlier this month that the aim was to turn the tables on the assertion that newspapers can print offensive material in the name of freedom of expression.
The newspaper said the contest was open until May 5. It did not announce what the prize would be but said each artist would receive a book of the cartoons submitted.
Tehran, Feb 13 - A contest for cartoons of the holocaust was launched in Iran on Monday.
The first entry was said to be from renowned Australian cartoonist Michael Leunig, according to the website organising the competition with Iran's biggest selling newspaper Hamshahri, triggering outrage in the United States and Germany in particular.
"As a show of solidarity with the Muslim world, and an exercise in free speech, I would like to submit a cartoon to you on the theme of the holocaust," Leunig was quoted as saying in a statment on the Irancartoon.com website.
"I have had some difficulty getting this work published in my own country, and I believe it would help highlight the hypocrisy of the West's attitude to free speech if you were to publish it," the Melbourne-based Leunig was quoted as saying.
Hamshahri, which is published by Tehran's municipality, said the contest was officially launched on Monday with the title "what is the limit on freedom of expression in the West?" Its graphics editor Farid Mortazavi said earlier this month that the aim was to turn the tables on the assertion that newspapers can print offensive material in the name of freedom of expression.
The newspaper said the contest was open until May 5. It did not announce what the prize would be but said each artist would receive a book of the cartoons submitted.