CRN Alert: Exiled Iranian Cartoonist Seeks Asylum

[JSpann7185]

NOVEMBER 27, 2006 - 23:07 ET

Cartoonists Rights Network, International: Exiled Iranian Cartoonist Seeks Safe Haven

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA--(CCNMatthews - Nov. 27, 2006) - Cartoonist Mana Neyestani left Dubai where he had lived in exile since one of his cartoons led to death threats. He is now in Europe where he notified UNHCR, the refugee agency of the United Nations, that he is seeking asylum.

Neyestani left Iran in early September, just days before he was to be imprisoned for a second time because of his cartooning. Iranian authorities arrested Neyestani and his editor, Mehrdad Qasemfar, May 23 on charges that they incited ethnic violence and undermined national security when the newspaper Iran published a cartoon with a cockroach speaking the Azeri language to a boy who was speaking Persian, the language used by about 75 percent of Iranians. Students rioted in the northwestern city of Tabriz to protest the cartoon. Iran, a state-owned newspaper, was closed for months. It resumed publishing September 11 with a new staff.

Neyestani's months-long search for an appropriate visa has been followed by his cartooning colleagues and they are alarmed that UNHCR seems to be his last resort. "Western countries who claim to have enlightened policies in support of freedom of expression like to have their cake and eat it, too," said Nik Kowsar, a cartoonist who encountered Iranian protesters in 2000 due to one of his cartoons. He, too, fled Iran and now lives in Canada. "They position themselves as supporting freedom of expression, but now make achieving asylum almost impossible for the individual who is at risk for exercising it." Kowsar serves on the board of directors of Cartoonists Rights Network, International.

CRNI monitors and supports the well-being of political cartoonists who find themselves in trouble because of the power and influence of their professional work.

Cartoonists Rights Network , International
Box 7272
Fairfax Station, Virginia 22039 USA
email: mayte6@aol.com
Web: http://cartoonistrights.com/
With Affiliate Representatives in Asia, Africa,
the Middle East, Africa and South America
and Canada

[Iangould]

Funny how its the UN helping him and not the people who keep telling us how much they care about democracy and free speech in the Muslim world.

[Charles RB]

Well, if we help him we'd have another one of those filthy immigrants stealing all the best council housing and taking our jobs away. Be reasonable, Ian.

[king mob]

Ah yes, he'll be the thin edge of the wedge and then we'll be flooded, flooded you hear!!!

[Drew Van T.]

Iranian authorities arrested Neyestani and his editor, Mehrdad Qasemfar, May 23 on charges that they incited ethnic violence and undermined national security when the newspaper Iran published a cartoon with a cockroach speaking the Azeri language to a boy who was speaking Persian, the language used by about 75 percent of Iranians. Students rioted in the northwestern city of Tabriz to protest the cartoon.

He deserves to get asylum as a matter of principle, but that certainly sounds like a racist cartoon, doesn't it? I'm not feeling too sorry for him.

[rick]

He deserves to get asylum as a matter of principle, but that certainly sounds like a racist cartoon, doesn't it? I'm not feeling too sorry for him.

Actually I feel the same way.

Yes he deserves our protection and asylum because free speech matters, but at the same time, what an asshole.

[Iangould]

It sounds bad but I imagine "Archie and Mehitabel" would too based on a similar description.

What's the context, did the cockroach, for example, look suspiciously like some ethnic-Azeri Ayatollah?

[Spackling Compound]

Can't he just crash with latuff?

[Grazzt]

Here's the cartoon. The cockroach doesn't look like it's supposed to be a parody of any specific person (the Wiki article on them says that Ayatollah Khamenei is an Azeri). At least, it doesn't to me.

Also, the BBC says that the cartoonist is also an ethnic Azeri.