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| Europe |
| Comic strip heroes take on al Qaeda |
| 2008-03-25 |
| As European authorities grope for ways of combating the appeal of militant Islamism, one German security agency has hit on a novel idea: cartoon comics. Officials in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) had run a well received comic strip campaign against right-wing extremism in 2004 starring Andi, a schoolboy hero who stands up against xenophobia and racism. By my calculations, they were about 70 years late with that one. Drawing on that experience, they launched Andi last October into a second adventure featuring his Muslim girlfriend Ayshe and her brother Murat, who comes under the influence of a radical friend and an Islamist "hate preacher." The comic -- printed in 100,000 copies and distributed to every secondary school in Germany's most populous state -- aims to show young people the difference between peaceful mainstream Islam and the violent, intolerant version peddled by militants. "We were always careful not to hurt feelings and anger people by painting a caricature of Islam," said Hartwig Moeller, head of the NRW interior ministry's department for protection of the constitution, responsible for intelligence gathering. "We had to make clear we weren't aiming against Muslims, but only those people who want to misuse Islam for political aims," added Moeller, who despite his intelligence role says 50 to 60 percent of his work is educating the public about threats. The cartoon, featuring boldly drawn Manga-style figures, is designed to be used in citizenship and religion lessons for schoolchildren aged 12 to 16. "We have learned from our opponents. This is exactly the age at which the Islamists are trying, through Koranic schools and other means, to fill young people with other values," Moeller told Reuters. The unusual initiative is one example of how countries around the world are searching for new ways to prevent young people being drawn into Islamist violence. Many security analysts speak of the need to counter the "narrative" of al Qaeda -- the message that the West is waging war on Islam in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, and that young Muslims must fight back, including if necessary by sacrificing themselves as 'martyrs'. To some youngsters, experts say, al Qaeda offers a sense of identity, belonging and justice -- not to mention adventure and an aura of 'coolness'. The question is how to compete with that allure. Police and governments in most West European countries have developed outreach programmes to build dialogue with Muslim communities, but some believe a bolder approach is called for. Printing a comic strip is considered "bolder"? At a conference this month in Stockholm, Swedish terrorism expert Magnus Ranstorp cited the example of Ahmad Dhani, an Indonesian rock star who challenged militant ideology in a massively popular album called "Warriors of Love." "I'm not suggesting that we need a musical jihad against extremism in Europe, or that we employ MTV in our efforts," Ranstorp said. But he raised the question: "How do we harness humor, soap opera and our tremendous public relations industries in these efforts to disarm the extremists' messages and influence over young people? Muslim reaction to Andi has been mostly positive, albeit with some reservations. "We found the basic approach was right and good, we only regretted (the authorities) didn't tell us about this initiative in advance, then it could have been made much better," said Aiman Mazyek, general secretary of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany. He said the portrayal of the Islamist hate preacher was "a bit overdone," but added: "There are people like that, I can't say there aren't." He said copies of the comic have been distributed in mosques. Another regional government, Hamburg, is also using the Andi story, and there has been interest from Austria, Denmark, Japan and the United States. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #5 ...they launched Andi last October into a second adventure featuring his Muslim girlfriend Ayshe and her brother Murat... Do they tell about Ayshe becoming the victim of an honor killing when her dad finds out she has an infidel boyfriend? |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque (aka Ebbang Uluque6305) 2008-03-25 14:42 |
| #4 The comic -- printed in 100,000 copies and distributed to every secondary school in Germany's most populous state -- aims to show young people the difference between peaceful mainstream Islam and the violent, intolerant version peddled by militants. i.e. the difference between something which is not Islam and something which is supported by the Koran, the life of the "prophet" and over a thousand years of Muslim jurisprudence. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2008-03-25 10:22 |
| #3 Years ago the EU came out with what had to be the lamest comic hero ever. It was more PC than Captain Planet, it was "Captain Euro": http://www.captaineuro.com/index.htm And of course, like any bureaucracy, it remains, like a dead raccoon under the porch. Be sure to check out the "Baddies", the villains that he has to try to talk to death in endless meetings, I guess. "Junior" looks like George Michael. An evil parrot? |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-03-25 09:50 |
| #2 Comics and cartoons are a great way to deal with these buffoons. Laugh at them. Have the comic book heroes kick the shit out of them. Show them being de-robed. Beards set on fire. There's no end to the merriment that could be depicted. Not only that, it really would raise the awareness of the young populace to the menace in front of them. It would influenece their thinking, just like Superman and Batman did here over the generations. |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter 2700 2008-03-25 09:08 |
| #1 The comic -- printed in 100,000 copies and distributed to every secondary school in Germany's most populous state Hummmmmm, sounds suspiciously like Government Propaganda, Something Germany's well experienced with. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-03-25 08:15 |