A cartoon in the Washington Post’s opinion section has sparked controversy and anger due to its “racist” and “orientalist” portrayal of Arabs and Palestinians.
Entitled “Human Shields,” the cartoon depicts a man wearing a dark, striped suit with bold white letters spelling “Hamas,” representing the Palestinian group.
The man is depicted with arched eyebrows and a comically large nose. He is shown with four children strapped to his body, including a baby on his head. Behind him, a veiled and submissive woman is meant to represent Palestinian women.
The man is seen raising a finger, with a thought cloud above him that reads: “How dare Israel attack civilians?” According to the cartoon, published on November 6, he is portrayed as Hamas.
The title and the depiction of children and a woman tied to him seem to reference allegations made by Israel, which are often repeated by Western leaders and echoed by many mainstream media outlets, that Hamas uses human shields.
Next to the man, woman, and children, who are accompanied by a Palestinian flag, there is a partial portrait of the Dome of the Rock in occupied East Jerusalem, with an oil lamp below it.
Link from www.aljazeera.com
