| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| Sensitive, Nuanced, Sophisticated EU May Jail Cartoonist for Blasphemy |
| 2005-03-26 |
| Cartoonist faces Greek jail for blasphemy Krysia Diver in Stuttgart Wednesday March 23, 2005 He meant it as a piece of religious satire, a playful look at the life of Jesus. But Gerhard Haderer's depiction of Christ as a binge-drinking friend of Jimi Hendrix and naked surfer high on cannabis has caused a furore that could potentially land the cartoonist in jail. Haderer did not even know that his book, The Life of Jesus, had been published in Greece until he received a summons to appear in court in Athens in January charged with blasphemy. He was given a six-month suspended sentence in absentia, but if he loses his appeal next month his sentence could be increased to two years. Haderer's book is the first to be banned in Greece for more than 20 years, and he is the first artist to fall prey of the European arrest warrant system since it was introduced in June 2002. Yesterday in Vienna, a group of prominent writers and poets called a press conference to draw attention to the plight of Haderer, an Austrian, whose case they claim is crucial to the freedom of international artists. "It is unbelievable that a person can write a book in his home country and be condemned and threatened with imprisonment by another," said Nikki Conrad, a human rights expert who organised yesterday's press conference. "But he is not going to just sit back and accept this injustice. He is prepared to take this to the European court of human rights. When Gerhard first got the summons he thought it was a joke. But now he is starting to get a bit nervous." Mr Conrad added that a 1,000-signature petition of international artists, signed by people including the Nobel prize winner Elfriede Jelinek, would be delivered to the EU within the next two weeks. "This campaign is crucial for the future freedom of international artists. Haderer is unique and situations like this will inhibit his artistic style," said the poet Gerhard Ruiss. The Austrian comedian Hubert Kramar, who is next week due to star in a new satirical play about Christ, turned up to the press conference dressed as Jesus. "We are supposed to be living in a democratic society. Greece is in Europe and the whole idea of the European Union is that everything is supposed to be more open. But what happened to Haderer is scaring artists like me," he said. Haderer's 40-page book has been already published in seven countries, including Germany, where 100,000 copies have been sold. Well known in Germany for his weekly illustrations in the news magazine Stern, he is to appeal against his six-month sentence in Athens on April 13. Here's one reason why many Americans wonder just what the hell Europeans are getting themselves into. Official attempts to curtail the expression of ideas are about the only thing that will piss off Americans of almost any political stripe. Looking forward to Aris' commentary on this one... |
| Posted by:Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) |
| #20 Greece,cant even keep from going broke over the olympics, perhaps its time for them to enter the modern world |
| Posted by: bkskiispow 2005-03-26 8:02:05 PM |
| #19 What's the definition of blasphemy in Greece? Is it only WRT Christian defamation? Say, for example, Muslims believe that Jesus was only a prophet; not the Son of G-d, G-d himself, or even a divine messenger on par with Muhammed ---which is fact, they do believe this, and make it known in many books---can Xtians prosecute Muslims for this kind of blasphemy, or vice versa with Muslims? Kinda makes one wonder about the possibilities. |
| Posted by: Asedwich 2005-03-26 7:31:30 PM |
| #18 Get any rant tingles on the stock markets? The hell with the stock market - how about some lottery numbers?? |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-03-26 4:40:50 PM |
| #17 So True, TGA. I wish they'd quit spamming me, the losers, lol! I had a distant uncle who had a nice portfolio of nothing but blue chips, which he bought in small lots out of his hard-earned pay. He once told me that behind every financial genius was an insider deal and a prison term. The only luck involved was whether anybody talked, lol. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-03-26 1:31:56 PM |
| #16 Whether he knew or just ignored his Greek success is besides the point. Posting a few cartoons on the web would be enough since they could be viewed in Greece. .com stock market? This is what I ask every broker who has the sure advice: Why are you still working? |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-03-26 1:10:40 PM |
| #15 It used to be that some countries were a little, uh, "lax" in enforcing copyright laws for foreign authors. Isaac Asimov frequently bitched about how some of his works had been published in other countries and he never saw a nickel. (Of course, if you're Asimov, it's probably hard to keep up with which book has been published where.) I don't know whether that's still true now that there's one big happy Eurofamily. |
| Posted by: Angie Schultz 2005-03-26 12:42:25 PM |
| #14 clear nuff. :-) |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-03-26 12:37:00 PM |
| #13 I guess I should be a little more clear, Frank: the man is published in 7 countries (including Greece, I assume), so one would figure there is some level of communication between the author and his publisher: "Gerhard, Baby, we're going big-time. Can you see the lights? That's Greece!" Obviously, who would miss that? And, I was referring to Chutch's Digi-Draw "renditions." |
| Posted by: Armchair in Sin 2005-03-26 12:26:00 PM |
| #12 Freedom of speech is not a European right, you might offend some protected class. That should come as no surprise at all. Here you are free to speak or not to speak. Unless you incite actual violence or slander and libel, little is likely to happen to you. So please tell us again how much more Europe and the EU are champions of human right and actual freedom. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-03-26 12:20:55 PM |
| #11 Lol, TGA. So, um how much do you charge to roll out your crystal ball and conduct a seance? Get any rant tingles on the stock markets? ;-) |
| Posted by: .com 2005-03-26 12:19:10 PM |
| #10 A few days I commented on the inconstitutionality of the European Arrest Warrant by showing an "absurd example". Reality caught up damn quickly. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-03-26 12:09:29 PM |
| #9 I think he didn't know it was translated/published in Greece.....and yes, Ward Churchill was paid - for writing words someone else had already written.. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-03-26 12:02:33 PM |
| #8 How can you write a book, have 100K copies of it sold, and not know it was published? What's up with royalty system there? That's what would "inhibit my artistic style." Even Ward Churchill was paid, wasn't he? |
| Posted by: Armchair in Sin 2005-03-26 11:32:17 AM |
| #7 Yeah... the Comic Book Defense Fund exists for incidents like this in the US, with "Alabama" or "Utah" search-and-replaced for "Greece". The bookburners are a consistent fact of life, especially now that technologies have made it possible for San Francisco sensibilities to be put on trial under the "community standards" of Salt Lake City or Birmingham. Welcome to federalism, Europa. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2005-03-26 11:16:21 AM |
| #6 Irony: Americans, the most religious people in the developed world, have a government that allows PissC%**t while Europeans, heathens about to become Muslims by the sword, have a government that puts people in jail for writing a book. Three strikes and they're irredeemable and out. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-03-26 9:46:44 AM |
| #5 Sheesh! Blasphemy is against the law in Europe but Euros are convinced that America is a land of Talibanish Bible-thumpers bent on world domination. As for Hadererer, he is just another courageous iconoclast challenging the all-powerful Christian church and daring to question the universal notions of the conformist masses. NOT! (at least not since about 1920) Pop-culture has been stuck in this rut for 80 years. If they have to torch a strawman, they might at least have the imagination to fabricate an up-to-date one. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2005-03-26 9:33:35 AM |
| #4 Ahhh...The Dean of Art at UC Boulder would seem the next position of employment from such an "L'enfant terrible" of graphics expression. |
| Posted by: Glereger Clugum6222 2005-03-26 8:58:38 AM |
| #3 Book banning! Yes! Next up burning. Wouldn't happen with the New Constitution/Treaty of Equals/Scam |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-03-26 8:20:27 AM |
| #2 Pathetic. Truly pathetic-- and predictable. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2005-03-26 7:37:31 AM |
| #1 LOL! If they think this is "unbelievable", they'll have even more fun when Turkey gets in. Methinks some people haven't been keeping their eyes on the integration ball. "You don't have to read it to know that it's good" |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2005-03-26 7:03:15 AM |