Apparently today's iteration of the Cartoon Wars is not its first. I'm now reading the autobiography of political cartoonist David Low, and he talks about his 1926 cartoon celebrating the batting record of famed cricketeer Jack Hobbs, aligning him with figures like Julius Caesar, Charlie Chaplin, Mohammed, and Columbus gazing up adoringly at him.
Much to his surprise, a local mosque leader wrote his in protest, and the editor of the paper apologized. The matter was over--or was it? Two weeks later, cables from India and Calcutta described a movement of local imams "exhorting Moslems to press for resolutions of protest against the Hobs cartoon which shows a prophet among lesser celebrities" in meetings at mosques. Calcutta newspapers editorialized against the "serious offense" of the cartoon, warning how it would lead to bloodshed amongst Muslims "convulsed with rage." Two weeks later, hmmm....shades of the radical Danish imam and his journey to the homeland with (phony) cartoons in hand!
The British Government ignored their pleas for censorship (a lesson for our media and government elite) and jawboning the offending newspapers, and the affair fizzled out.
Until now, 81 years later.
Alas, a copy of the 'offensive' cartoon is not available--or I just haven't been able to find it. Anyone?
