Iran launches anti-Islamic State cartoon competition

Artists were briefed by Iran’s House of Cartoon to focus on the crimes committed by IS

Iran has launched an anti-Islamic State (IS) cartoon competition, inviting submissions from all over the world to mock the terrorist organisation and the crimes that it commits.

The organisers of the campaign said that selected works would be displayed at cultural centres across Tehran and the winner would be announced on May 31.

Anti-#ISIS cartoon exhibition opened in Tehran #Iran, 280 work from 40 countries displayed. http://t.co/WA7RZfxMQZ pic.twitter.com/nV9ZVho0eY

— Golnaz Esfandiari (@GEsfandiari) May 24, 2015

According to the state-run IRNA news agency, artists were briefed by Iran’s House of Cartoon to focus on “the crimes committed by the Islamic State”.

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Executive secretary of the contest Mohammad Habibi said that 280 works had been selected from 800 submissions, including entries from over 40 countries including Brazil, Australia and Indonesia.

Iran holds anti-ISIS cartoon contest
(Taking the war to the next level...) pic.twitter.com/oquQtNaSKg

— Negar Mortazavi نگار مرتضوی (@NegarMortazavi) May 26, 2015

Habibi said that some foreign cartoonists were attending the contest, but that they have been forced to travel under pseudonyms due to security concerns.

“Nowadays, everyone around the world knows about the parasite by the name of IS and what crimes they have committed against humanity and arts and culture. Artists now have the duty to raise public awareness about this group by participating in such events.”

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Cartoon and caricature contest held in ... https://t.co/tvzjUpeTTG via @PressTV #PressTV | https://t.co/OlQAT2mevR pic.twitter.com/2s37ANJNfX

— Eddy ☭ (@eddyElGallo) May 25, 2015

One of the contestants, artist Massoud Shoajaei Tabatabaii said that the contest was being held “to reveal the true nature of Daesh.”

Iranian cartoon contest links US, Israel to ISIS http://t.co/KJTmkZspUE pic.twitter.com/x4EFgTPCbx

— ✡MAGID מגיד ✡ (@idf1980israel) May 25, 2015

“Daesh tries to associate itself with Islam but in essence it has no idea about Islam.”

Funded by the local government in Tehran, the House of Cartoon last held a competition on the theme of Holocaust denial following the depiction of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo earlier this year.