Islamic cartoon compared to Indian cartoon

Newspaper cartoon a hate crime, Islamic group claimsPolice in Halifax are investigating a complaint about a political cartoon that some members of a local Islamic group claim is a hate crime.

The cartoon, published April 18 in the Chronicle Herald newspaper, depicts a woman in a burka holding a sign that reads, "I want millions," and she says, "I can put it towards my husband's next training camp."

The cartoon by Bruce MacKinnon is a reference to Cheryfa MacAulay Jamal, a woman from Nova Scotia whose husband was arrested in 2006 in an anti-terrorism raid. Qayyum Abdul Jamal was released from jail after charges against him were stayed on April 15.

Zia Khan, director of the Centre for Islamic Development in Halifax, said the cartoon goes beyond what can be considered free speech.

"You would not put a native American Indian with feathers and say I need money in order to cull white people's heads. You wouldn't do that. This would be libellous," he said.Comment:  Well, the hypothetical Indian cartoon is definitely stereotypical if not libelious. The Islamic cartoon would be also if it portrayed a generic Muslim woman.

But this woman is wearing a particular type of glasses. If that's what Cheryfa MacAulay Jamal wears, the cartoon is targeting her, not all Muslims.

For more on the subject, see The Muhammad Cartoons.