What are the limits on religious satire? Recently, Woroni, the student newspaper of the Australian National University, was forced by the school to remove and apologize for a cartoon that satirized Islam. If the Woroni case were a routine matter of…
Category: International
Opposition to Proposed Revision of Japanese Child Pornography Law Grows
Last week, we reported on a proposed revision to a Japanese child pornography law that leaves many innocent people vulnerable to prosecution due to vague legal definitions that could criminalize even the most innocuous image. In response, the Japan Cartoonists…
Egyptian Woman Cartoonist Won’t Be Silenced
Two years ago, when the Egyptian people joined together to overthrow the government of Hosni Mubarak, women were an important part of the movement. The future looked bright as they anticipated gaining more rights under a new constitution. But since…
CRNI Aids Cartoonists in Danger
Around the world, particularly in developing countries with low literacy rates, political cartoons serve an important function in public debate. But too often, cartoonists who defy secular or religious authorities face intimidation, arrest, violent attacks, and even death. Cartoonists Rights…
Iranian Cartoonist Continues to Speak Out From Exile
In 2009, Iran errupted into violent protest over the results of an election that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won by a landslide, leading many to believe that he had stolen the election. As the streets filled with protestors, riot police, and teargas,…
Vague Legal Definitions Threaten Japanese Comic Readers
For the second time in four years, members of the Japanese Diet (legislature) are attempting to revise the nation’s flawed child pornography law. While initial revision proposals offered some hope that the problems with the law would be fixed, the…
Bangladeshi Cartoonist Recounts Time in Prison
In 2007, Arifur Rahman published a cartoon featuring a character called Mohammad Cat. The cartoon was published during the Islamic holy day of Ramadan, and its publication led to protests across Bangladesh. Rahman was arrested and sentenced to 6 months…
Cartoonists Resist Censorship Abroad
This week, David Reed with the Missouri NPR affiliate KBIA 91.3 examined editorial cartoons and freedom of expression abroad during his Global Journalist radio show. Among the topics of discussion were Ali Ferzat and Aseem Trivedi, two editorial cartoonists who…
Singapore Cartoonist Arrested for Sedition
In April, Singapore cartoonist Leslie Chew was arrested by authorities for alleged racial insensitivity and sedition. Chew shares his comic, Demon-cratic Singopore, on Facebook, and his arrest was the result of a complaint filed by a private citizen who took…
Appeal Against Tunisian Blasphemy Conviction for Sharing Cartoons Fails
Last year, Tunisian citizens Jabeur Mejri and Ghazi Beji were sentenced in their home country to 7.5 years prison for blasphemy. The two were convicted of insulting the Prophet Muhammad after they shared cartoons depicting Muhammad and criticizing Islam on…