By Hamza Jilani/Staff Reporter
The Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF) hosted a three-day photo exhibition and cartoon competition, which concluded on Thursday at Qatar University’s College of Law building in the new library.
A total of 25 photographs and cartoons from around the world were displayed to express the dangers journalists face while working in the field. The event focused on journalists targeted by Israeli forces while covering the occupation army’s last war against Gaza.
A five-member jury of prominent cartoonists awarded Alby Letoy with a first place cash prize of $1,500, followed by Hanni Abbas with $1,000 and Abdel Naser al-Jafari with $800.
“Cartoons have become a means of expression to protest and give critical opinions,” Letoy said. “A drawing can be sensitive and cynical and always defend press freedom – a fundamental right too often violated.”
“Cartooning is a free and honest art where there is no room for courtesy or compromise. Its message can reach a wide audience thanks to its easiness and ability to overcome geographic frontiers,” said al-Jafari, whose illustrations focus on restrictions facing online freedom of expression in the GCC.
According to DCMF, the highest number of entries came from the Mena region, and most of the artists highlighted the threat to press freedom for both print and television journalists.
The jury included presiding DCMF director Jan Keulen, award-winning Syrian Ali Ferzat, Qatari cartoonist for local Arrayah newspaper Mohamed Abdullateef, Al Jazeera Network’s cartoonist Shujaat Ali and executive director of the Cartoonists Rights Network Int’l Robert Russell.
“Many of the entries we received for the contest depicted the struggle between the media and the powerful; the endless fight between journalists and authorities that don’t want the public to know the truth,” Kuelen said.
According to the DCMF, Israel’s November 2012 war against Gaza resulted in the killing of three media workers by direct targeting from Israeli planes, with 17 injuries, the destruction of two TV stations and damages to 30 media offices and outlets.