Pakistanis are up in arms about a cartoon that appeared the other day in the Washington Times. The Bill Garner cartoon was intended to commend Pakistan for its role in nabbing the al Qaeda’s reputed #3, Abu Faraj al-Libbi. It showed a dog labelled “Pakistan” holding al-Libbi in its mouth while an American soldier pats it approvingly on the head. “Good going," says the soldier, “now, let’s go find bin Laden.”
Oops, looks like Garner has stumbled into a major cultural chasm. He assumed that the “dog is man’s best friend” credo extended to the Muslim world, and had intended, in all innocence, to convey American's gratitude by making this canine comparison. An enlightened editor might have pointed out that, for several reasons, likening Pakistan to a dog would be taken as a grievous insult by Pakistanis.
As someone who is perhaps a little more educated in these matters (maybe), I might have explained it to the editors like this:
- Islam tends to view dogs much less favourably than Westerners. Oh, dogs are okay for herding your animals or guarding your property, but you wouldn’t want to have a close personal relationship with a creature that can lick its unmentionables and ingest the unspeakable (like my almost six-month-old retriever puppy, who has a revolting fondness for recycling his own poopy).
-The imagery of Pakistan as America’s pet dog is apt to rile the Islamists, who aren’t too thrilled with Pervez Musharraf’s co-operation with Great Satan. They have expressed this displeasure on at least one occasion by trying to assassinate him.
-Islamists are not noted for their sense of humour. In a culture which demands complete reverence at all times, irreverence is perceived as an intolerable threat.
But the Times didn’t call upon my consulting skills, and went ahead and published the cartoon (which, as a newspaper in a democracy, it had every right to do). The result: Pakistanis are livid. Pakistan has been defamed! Parliament must be convened! Musharraf must resign! America must apologize! This insult must not be tolerated!
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Article comments
1 - SFC SKI
Good points, good article.
Of course, you know that being up in arms is a popular pastime in that part of th world.
2 - scaramouche
LOL! And thanks for the compliment.
3 - Charu
Where can one see the offending cartoon? And is it true that Garner has been earlier criticised for his right wing proclivities?
regards
4 - scaramouche
Re: the offending cartoon--I haven't been able to find it online. And I don't know anything about Garner's supposed "right-wing proclivities", but I'm pretty sure if the accusation was made, it was by someone with "left-wing proclivities". In any case, most people know where the Washington Times, as opposed to the Washington Post, falls on the political spectrum, so I think your query may be moot.
5 - Maqsood Kayani
Its people like yourself and Bill Garner who make us want to believe "Osama is right".
6 - scaramouche
Magsood Kayani--I have a feeling you'd be inclined to believe it even if people like Garner and I weren't around
7 - Vaqas Asghar
It's pure politics
doesnt anyone rember the freedom fries fiasco in the US? This is Pakistan's version of it. The real problem is that even if it was intentional there is nothing wrong with the cartoon. Garner simply called a spade a spade. Pakistan is America's B!T(H and theres nothing we Pakistani's can do about it because it serves our self interest or at least that of the politicians. the "uproar" in parliament is meant to distract attention from the sorry state of affairs the country is in because of musharraf and his cronies, nothing more, nothing less.
8 - chengez K
Every body has right to his views but the fact is showing any nation as a dog is hardly the best way of complimenting some one for nabbing Al Qaeeda #3.Even if we take Washington's Time editorial logic that dog represents the closest feelings of association , then the question is how many times has Israel been termed as a dog or a bitch(just to cover gender discrimination). Or has Mr Ariel Sharon ever been lovingly addressed as our 'beloved son of a bitch'.The fact is that despite Israel being closest to U.S never it has been bestowed with such prestigious titles.No
U.S newspaper dare move in this direction with its choice of metaphors...
9 - Arun
Calling someone a dog - a "kutta" - is a very common (relatively-minor..) insult in India (and, I'm guessing, Pakistan). "Saala kutta" - bloody dog, "kuthiya" - bitch, "kutte ki aulad" - breed of a dog, and so on. What ruffled Pakistani feathers was the blunt implication in a major American newspaper that Pakistan was America's kutta - a description that, to many people within Pakistan and without it - does in fact ring true!
10 - Arun
While we're at it, a group of extremely patriotic Indians took out a procession in my neighbourhood protesting Bush's naming his dog India.
11 - harry
It is the greatest insult for the dog to be compared with Pakistan.