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Rodrigo Abd / AP
In this photo taken Tuesday, May 10, street vendors wait for customers in front of a graffiti depicting Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in Benghazi, Libya. After more than 40 years under Gadhafi, Libyans in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi have taken to mocking the Libyan dictator with colorful caricatures. Before residents in the rebel-held east ripped themselves free from Gadhafi's rule, drawing such satirical pictures of the leader in public was unthinkable, and the regime would have severely punished anyone caught doing so.
In Libya, the battle between dictator Moammar Gadhafi and the rebels determined to oust him isn’t begin fought only with guns, rockets and NATO airstrikes.
Gadhafi is the subject of hateful graffiti and violent images in Benghazi, the center of rebel resistance along the Mediterranean Coast, according to The Guardian. These images contrast with the stately official portraits of the beleaguered leader still present in Tripoli, the capital, where Gadhafi remains in control.
Rodrigo Abd / AP
Artist Salhen Obaidi cleans his hands after painting a mural in downtown Benghazi, Libya, Sunday, May 15. Hundreds of new paintings and graffiti decorate the city of Benghazi since the rebels took control of the city.
Caricatures painting Gadhafi as a villain and anti-regime graffiti are prevalent throughout the Benghazi city center. Images include Gadhafi pumping oil into a winged camel or the leader depicted as a clown.
Liberated citizens in Benghazi are making up for years of repression by expressing themselves with graffiti, newspapers, radio stations and rap bands. There are also giant billboards in the city with “We have a dream,” scrawled across them in English.
Rodrigo Abd / AP
In this Wednesday, May 11, picture a man walks next to a graffiti drawing depicting Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in Benghazi, Libya. After more than 40 years under Gadhafi, Libyans in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi have taken to mocking the Libyan dictator with colorful caricatures. Before residents in the rebel-held east ripped themselves free from Gadhafi's rule, drawing such satirical pictures of the leader in public was unthinkable, and the regime would have severely punished anyone caught doing so.
But the graphic resistance isn’t limited to rebel-controlled areas. In Tripoli, rebel sympathizers have resorted to writing “no” next to pro-government graffiti or marking them with a large “x”, according to two Libyans who escaped the capital city. Anti-government graffiti doesn’t last long in Tripoli before Gadhafi’s people paint over it.
Libyan citizens began the revolt in February before NATO joined in in March. Four months into the rebellion, anti-Gadhafi forces control eastern Libya, while Gadhafi holds much of the rest of the country.
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Interesting that in the photo blog, in the graffiti of Gaddafi being hung, he is portrayed wearing a Star of David, implying that somehow he is a Jew (which of course must be the greatest crime in the Arab world.) It's a shame that some of these freedom fighters harbor racist sentiments, and it's also a shame that MSNBC didn't even point it out in the caption!
Guess they took that image down, cause I don't see a picture of him being hung in any of the images in the article right now. Interesting..
It's not taken down. If your looking at the first picture at the main MSNBC page (not the article itself). You will see 4 small squares to the lower left . Move your mouse to the 3rd square. You will then see it.
I searched out more of these graffiti images and many (including the first one in this blog) also show him with nazi symbols.
Perhaps you shouldn't read too much into this. And, also, don't forget that it is also racist to assume a whole group of people are racist.
I noticed the NO FEAR one on the MSNBC. Looked like USA graffiti :-).
And to support baps post. If you look at the Gaddafi image in the upper right there is a swastika on his head wear.
correction: upper left
I find it odd that in one case, he is portrayed as a Jew, and in another he is a Nazi. Two completely contradicting representation both to mean the same demeaning thing in Libya (Presumably the ARab world, although I can't say for certain)
In parts of the arab world, they equate the Israeli's to NAZI's for their ongoing issues with the Palestinians . Hamas constantly calls them NAZI's . I guess, they figure calling a Jew a Nazi is the ultimate insult.
Looks just like NY or El Lay.
And this is all to jusify NATO crimes in Libya?
So what do you think of the Lockerbie bombing? Should the perpetrators be in jail? Was a crime right?
So this is the reason for the war now.. I heard something about "humanitarian intervention".. Anyway both are lies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGuzIHwkAf4&feature=related
And they always do it in English, hmmm.
not quite...most of the pictures with writing are actually NOT in English
however, the ones that do happen to be in english attract more attention from photographers and journalists because they actually know what the writing says.
Maybe if they would have taken him out after the Lockerbie bombing we would not be dealing with this now. Oh yeah, I forgot he was just another puppet like Saddam. By the way how many dead bodies constitute a humanitarian crisis? Does the 35,000 + next door to us count? I bet if someone stopped and did a body count on how many murders committed by the narco criminals, it would total more than all acts of terrorism combined.
I guess that story isn't sensational enough for the press, after all nobody cares about whats going on in our own neighborhood.
The U.S. and NATO bombs are humanitarian bombs. And this news piece is the way things really are in Libya. Ask Graham, Lieberman and McCain why they were in Libya in August of 2009 making military sales agreements with Moammar. Lieberman stood in front of the press and called Gadhafi "an important ally in the war on terror." McCain made public tweet at that same visit about being at Gadhafi's ranch and said "interesting meeting with an interesting man." Wake up out of your trance.
Well McCain fully supported our recent military actions in Libya. In fact, I'm pretty sure he wanted to send in troops.
Also consider what McCain wanted to do when North korea recently bombed a S. Korea island and killed some of their people. He also wanted to initiate military action over that incident.
Not arguing with you, just pointing out how even if you don't like Obama, McCain would have bene much worse.
bap,
So you admit that Obama is evil, just that he is the least of the two.
TexasZ28: Your absolutely right. We select the the lesser of the evils presented to us. Anyone that thinks logically tries to do exactly that.
This will continue until we have a "None of above" option in elections, and people use it.
Think of how much that option would screw up the corporations, special interests, and unions that control our government??
But alas, It will never happen.
It's nice to see these Libyans mocking their leader publicly, I wish we were allowed to do that here.
Of course I sympathize with the desire to get rid of Qaddafi, although I will refrain from praising those seeking to replace him until we see who eventually ends up on top of the heap.
Be that as it may, my contempt for graffiti is not lessened by its location in Libya rather than on New York City subway cars. Nor is my contempt for graffiti lessened when it is a thousand years old and called
"petroglyphs" in places like Mesa Verde or Chaco Canyon in the "Four Corners" region of the U.S. Wherever it is found, graffiti is what I call "cockroach art," that is to say, it is the so-called "art" of cockroach cultures. I would also call it "fecal art."
Are you trying to say you don't like graffiti ?
Let me guess, your being sarcastic?
The cartoons are fun to read, free speech.
Yes, they have more freedom of speech than we do. If I did the same drawings of Obama (even in my own property) I would either be told to erase them or I'd go to jail.