(Associated Press) Bahraini anti-government protesters carry a poster calling for a boycott of next weekend’s Formula OneBahrain Grand Prix during a march Sunday, April 15, 2012, in Sehla, Bahrain, near the capital of Manama. The Arabic reads, “formula in Bahrain is crushing the bodies of the people.” Thousands of protesters, many waving national flags, called for the fall of the Bahraini regime and freedom for political prisoners.
According to a Twitter account supposedly held by the Information Affairs Authority (IAA) of Bahrain, of the regime of King Hamad, they are concerned about the “journalistic integrity” displayed in my cartoons. In the messages, IAA states that my drawings “tip over the limits” of what is considered freedom of speech. It’s curious that a government institution of Bahrain uses words like “integrity” and “freedom of speech”, which are values definitely not applied by Hamad’s regime.
According to a report by Amnesty International, an organization accorded a great deal of integrity, Bahraini authorities “had committed gross human rights violations with impunity, including the excessive use of force against protesters, widespread torture and other ill-treatment of protesters, unfair trials and unlawful killings.”
Cartoon I made for Bahraini activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja was used by protesters yesterday.
(Associated Press) Anti-government protesters approach riot police holding pictures of a jailed opposition human rights activist Saturday, April 14, 2012, outside the British Embassy in Manama, Bahrain. Dozens gathered in support of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who has been on a prison hunger strike for more than two months. Police, who blocked surrounding roads, dispersed the demonstrators with sound grenades. The Arabic on the banner worn by the woman at center reads: “freedom or martyrdom.”
(Associated Press) A Bahraini carrying a child passes a wall Thursday, April 5, 2012, in Barbar, Bahrain, west of the capital of Manama, that is painted with graffiti depicting Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in a race car, calling for a boycott of this year’s Formula OneBahrain grand prix, scheduled for April 22. The Arabic is a signature reading “free men of Barbar.” A year after an anti-government uprising forced Bahrain’s rulers to cancel the kingdom’s coveted Formula One race, the grand prix is again smack in the middle of a power struggle.
The valiant Bahrainis never cease to amaze me. The cartoon I made 3 days ago, following suggestion of @THE_EMPEROR889, about The Bahrain Grand Prix, is now a mural in the village of Barbar. There’s no better payment than having my art being used by people.