Despite death threats, cartoonists challenge religious hatred and censorship online

[rug]

From “Frank & Ben” series by Jason Bach. (Courtesy of Jason Bach Cartoons via RNS)

By Brian Pellot
Religion News Service | December 29, 2014

“Just relax! It’s called a turban. Inside is my long unshorn waist length hair. Now let’s kick some intolerant ass.” That’s the caption floating above Vishavjit Singh’s drawing of a turbaned, bearded Captain America on his website Sikhtoons.com.



Singh, who is Sikh, is a software engineer by day, pretend superhero by night. He’s also one of many cartoonists using art to fight religious intolerance, hatred, stereotypes, and censorship attempts online.

Singh is based in New York City and launched Sikhtoons in the wake of 9/11. He says his inspiration came from political cartoonist Mark Fiore, whose work challenged hatred directed at Muslims and Sikhs after the attacks.

“Initially, some of my cartoons were based on my own experience as a bearded, turbaned American on the streets of New York, where people would shout ‘Osama,’ ‘Taliban,’ ‘Go back home,’ ” Singh said. “I’d also respond to hate crimes against Sikhs in the news.”

http://www.cruxnow.com/life/2014/12/29/despite-death-threats-cartoonists-challenge-religious-hatred-and-censorship-online/

http://www.sikhtoons.com/

http://www.salon.com/2013/11/18/what_i_learned_as_captain_america_in_a_turban/

http://blog.newhumanist.org.uk/2007/11/new-humanist-cartoon-controversy.html

http://www.jasonbachcartoons.com/catholic-cartoons.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/anti-semitic-zuckerberg-cartoon_n_4849907.html

[Gothmog]

1. Thank you for the cartoons

[TexasProgresive]

2. look what was under the rug

Where did you find those-just precious. Thanks, rug.

[rug]

3. The article's link had links to the strips it was referencing.

Happy New Year, TP!

[cbayer]

4. These are great. I particularly like Frank and Ben and haven't seen that one before.

Thanks! Maybe we should start a weekly toon thread.

Game?

[rug]

5. I'm not in. I found the context of these cartoons to be more interesting than the cartooons.

Sometimes they can be both simplistic and downright nasty,

Did you see the homophobic one about Dawkins and the anti-Semitic one about Zuckerberg? I had to put in a link to the controversies they created.

I know exactly how two posters in here would use it.

[cbayer]

6. I had seen the Dawkins one before, but not the Zuckerberg one.

I love humor and the edgier the better. My bar for what is acceptable is very different for cartoons and standup comedy in particular.

The beauty often is in the ability to be simplistic and cutting at the same time.

I don't think the Dawkins/Hitchens one is homophobic. Who does it make fun of, Dawkins/Hitchens or GLBT people? As Dawkins often uses phrases and images that one would normally relate to GLBT civil rights, it seems pretty spot on, particularly for the article it accompanied.

I didn't really get the Zuckerberg one and had to read the article to see what the problem was. This one I think is more offensive because Zuckerberg is a jew and this is the worst kind of caricature of a jew.

[Behind the Aegis]

7. It is one thing to challenge the faith, another to ridicule the followers.

The Zuckerberg one is not mocking Judaism, but mocking Jews. I don't see it as equivalent to the others as "challenging" religion.

[rug]

8. Agreed.