(CRN/IFEX) – The following is a CRN press release: The “Nobel Prize” of Editorial Cartooning June 9 at the Denver Press Club, Cartoonists Rights Network International announced that its 2006 Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning is shared by Algerian cartoonist Ali Dilem and 11 Danish cartoonists. In accepting his award, Dilem told organizers that […]
(CRN/IFEX) – The following is a CRN press release:
The “Nobel Prize” of Editorial Cartooning
June 9 at the Denver Press Club, Cartoonists Rights Network International announced that its 2006 Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning is shared by Algerian cartoonist Ali Dilem and 11 Danish cartoonists. In accepting his award, Dilem told organizers that the CRN Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning has been called the “Nobel Prize” of the cartooning world.
Incoming CRN president Joel Pett, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, announced the 12 recipients of the annual award. Among the recipients, only Mr. Dilem was able to attend.
“CRN is proud to stand in support of cartoonists to express their points of view, whether popular or not,” said Mr. Pett. “Mr. Dilem, in particular, has shown tremendous courage in the face of unrelenting political pressure.”
Dilem, a cartoonist in Algeria for over 15 years, has faced jail time and threats to his life more than once. Although under death threats from paramilitary forces and legal pressure from the government, Dilem continues to draw and publish in Algeria. He was recognized for his refusal to choose exile or self-censorship in the face of intimidation.
The 11 Danish cartoonists produced 12 cartoons commissioned by the newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Last September, the Danish daily published the cartoons because, editors said, there was growing self-censorship in matters related to Islam. The feature triggered a diplomatic standoff between Denmark and several Islamic states by mid-October. In February 2006, riots and demonstrations condemned the cartoons. Dozens of protestors from Afghanistan and Libya to Nigeria and Indonesia died in the resulting demonstrations.
The cartoons sparked a crisis in freedom-of-speech circles that reverberates today. Their lives threatened, the 11 Danish cartoonists live under tight security.
CRN has affiliate organizations in 15 countries, conducts freedom of expression workshops, and acts to reduce “violence with impunity” against cartoonists. CRN is a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange and the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Contact CRN for more information about Dilem, previous Courage in Editorial Cartooning winners, and details about cartoonists currently on our watch list.
