Spoilt for choice

The chap with the many faces and the many hands represents the Middle East. Accurate! (Asharq al-Awsat, Feb 5th).

The Messiah

Obama seems to be the first American president in a long while Middle Easterners put their trust into. Or is this cartoon here (Al-Hayat, Feb 4th) meant in a satirical way?

Bushoe

Bush and the shoe thrown at him – at least one thing this one Iraqi journalist will be remembered for. By the way, what was his name again? Whatever …

This cartoon here (Al-Quds al-Arabi, Jan 21st) sums up what quite a few people in the Middle East think about Bush:

Just that this time it’s not simply a shoe, it’s a whole foot, ripped off by a missile, that is thrown at Bush. Note: On the lady’s headscarf it reads: “Gaza”.

In general, a lot of people in the Middle East might consider Bush at someone who has only brought war to their region. That it was Bush who initiated the removal of two of the most terrible regimes in this region – namely the one of the Taliban as well as that nasty Saddam – will hopefully find at least its recognition in history books. Were Saddam or the Taliban made fun of in Arabic caricatures as well?

Roughed up

Remember the last cartoon yesterday? The pigeon of peace, which represents Mitchell, was about to face a tough fight with the bird of prey. Well, it seems, the big bully has won. The pigeon was found in intensive care – here is an exclusive picture found in Egypt’s Al-Ahram, Feb 1st:

Welcome, Mr President

It has been almost two weeks since the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama. Enough time for caricaturists to cast their dreams, hopes and fears into ink-blooded cartoons.

On Jan 22nd, Al-Ahram publishes this cartoon here entitled “Obama at his inauguration speech as American president”:

Obama ponders: “The crisis we are going through was caused by the disposal, greed and irresponsibility of a few.” The Palestinian woman says to her child: “Listen well, my son in the refuge camp… listen and take that advice.”

* * *

Others see Obama facing a true avalanche of strategic and tactical considerations when it comes to install peace in the Middle East (Asharq al-Awsat, Jan 25th):

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Now that’s a good one. The black and the white Obama wrestling with each other (Al-Ahram, Jan 26th):

Carrying books entitled “American Policy” under their arms, the white Obama says: “A bit tough?”, whereupon the black one replies: “But always darn sweet.”

* * *

Al-Hayat on Jan 28th:

On the briefcase it’s written: “Obama’s emissary to the Middle East”. Yet at the border of the Middle East there is already a bird of prey waiting for that faint pigeon.

As much as I like this one, how close is it to reality? Will there be peace just because Mr Obama wants his fair share of future recognition? The organizers of all these peace camps and whatsoever might have the right intention, but they lack a realistic picture of the Middle East. Talking about Israel, the West and the Islamic world have a totally different picture in mind. In the West, people tend to think that all the Israelis have to do is to give back the Gaza strip to the Palestinians – what they have already done! – and there will be peace.

In the Middle East, however, most people have a totally different point of view. Many consider Israel not a country but a barb that has to be removed. Some, like Iran’s Ahmedinedjad, utter this idea frankly and receive little criticism internationally. The problem is that this whole Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be solved if the following points are met:
1) Terrorists groups have to be labelled terrorist groups – and not freedom fighters. Of course they have to be wiped out.
2) Those who go public with their opinion (like journalists, caricaturists and so on) have to stop demonizing Israel.
3) The many antisemites in the West, who like to “criticize” Israel but never lose a word on, say, Congo, have to shut up.

As one can see, these points are totally unrealistic. The wish for the extermination of Israel will live on and the organizers of “peace camps” and other inefficient rigmaroles will have many more opportunities to earn their bread and butter.