Washington Post Removes Hamas Cartoon Condemned As Racist (Image: Twitter/fatima bhutto)
The popular American daily newspaper, the Washington Post, recently removed a cartoon which was widely condemned as a racist depiction of Palestinians and Arabs. The cartoon was drawn in the background of the ongoing war between Palestine and Israel and attracted stark criticism as soon as its publication for the offensive depiction of a particular community.
The cartoon named ‘Human Shields’ was denounced as it is an orientalist portrayal of Hamas or Arabs and Palestinians, holding children and women hostages. The threatening image of a human figure, who himself tied up with the hostages, mostly young children, is identified as ‘Hamas’ from the written letters on the man’s over-coat. A Palestine flag was also placed nearby and the man is seen producing a warning as “how dare Israel attack civilians…”
The man in the cartoon was carrying four children including a baby on his head. A veiled and submissive women, representing a Palestine lady, was also visible. The critics argued that racist portrayal with exaggerated features was a harmful stereotypical presentation of Palestine people, and thus it fails to acknowledge the real situations and suffering of the people of Gaza.
This cartoon is so anti-Muslim, so racist it boggles the mind that any newspaper could print it. Beyond which, Israel has murdered over 4,000 children- do you have absolutely no shame depicting Palestinian children in this manner? What a disgrace @washingtonpost. https://t.co/QVEk08ScdP
— fatima bhutto (@fbhutto) November 8, 2023
The cartoon was drawn by Michael Ramirez, a two-time Pulitzer prize winner. The artist however defended his work and claimed the piece of work as not racist and offensive. He reportedly insisted that the cartoon is a legitimate commentary on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the allegations that the Hamas are using human shields.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post took down the cartoon on Wednesday. In an official note to the readers, David Shipley, editorial page editor of The Post, explained that the cartoon was initially meant to caricature a specific Hamas spokesman. “However, the reaction to the image convinced me that I had missed something profound, and divisive, and I regret that”, he said.
Mr Shipley took the whole responsibility of the caricature and said the section depends on his judgement. “A cartoon we published by Michael Ramirez on the war in Gaza, a cartoon whose publication I approved, was seen by many readers as racist. This was not my intent. I saw the drawing as a caricature of a specific individual, the Hamas spokesperson who celebrated the attacks on unarmed civilians in Israel”, said Mr Siphley on his response to the readers.
