PARIS,
March 20, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – Drawing high turnout of readership
from all age groups, the cartoon books have dominated the Paris Book
Fair 2006 (Salon du Livre de Paris) as drawings were seen as the
best way to get the message across.
"Age
no longer matters when it comes to cartoon books," Christopher
Banne, an official of the Art France publishing house, told
IslamOnline.net Monday, March 20.
"The
cartoon books attract all age groups, including the elderly," he
added as he was standing in front of his publishing house's eye-catching
pavilion.
Held
under the title "Francofffonie", the 26th
round of the fair opened Friday, March 17, and runs through Wednesday,
March 22.
Some
1,200 publishing houses from 25 countries are taking part in the event,
the largest in France and Europe.
Nearly
70 publishing houses specialized in the cartoon art are also displaying
their books in this year's fair.
Radolph
Roi, the media officer of a publishing house, said drawings have become
the easiest way to the hearts and minds.
"This
is mainly because of people's desire to escape from the harsh reality to
an imaginary world free of complications and day-to-day stress," he
told IOL.
Meetings
were organized with prominent illustrators from around the globe on the
sidelines of the fair.
Muslim
World
Burning
Muslim issues like hijab and the US invasion of Afghanistan along with
stereotypes equating Islam with terrorism were in full display at the
shelves.
The
"Return" is about the blogs of a reporter embedded with the
US-led forces which invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to topple the Taliban
regime.
Another
tackles the controversy over hijab and secularism in France.
A
third spotlights the so-called "Islamic terrorism" in Pakistan
and south-east Asia.
The
Arab heritage also took the breath away with the intriguing Adventures
of Sinbad.
According
to a recent poll by the Ipsos Institute, French writers of Arab and
Muslim origin topped France's list of best-selling novels and books.
Western illustrators have tackled Muslims mainly in a demonizing and
satirical approach.
A
Belgian cartoon story on the alleged mistreatment of women under Islam
was the latest of such publications.
But
the most notorious of such is the 12 cartoons that lampooned Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), which were first published
in September by Denmark's mass circulation Jyllands-Posten.
The
offensive cartoons were later reprinted in many European dailies and
weeklies, including French France-Soir and Charlie
Hebdo.
A
recent French poll found that 54% believe the two papers were wrong to
re-print the caricature, and 72% saying they understood the indignation
they prompted among Muslims.
