By now, most people have probably heard about Farfur, the fundamentalist Islamic Mickey Mouse-like character who promotes violence and hatred on the Hamas-affiliated Al Aqsa TV network. But have you seen him? In any case, this is both a complicated story and a simple one. It's simple because it's wrong. Indoctrinating children is hard to justify, particularly when that indoctrination involves, say, violence and hatred. But it's a complicated story, partly because Farfur was pulled off the air for review, and partly because he's just part of a long tradition of this kind of thing. There are also, just for the purposes of argument, plenty of examples of pro-American propaganda through the years that use children's entertainment as a vehicle. There are racist Bugs Bunny cartoons that reinforced negative stereotypes about African-Americans, Japanese, and Germans, and there's even a famous Disney propaganda cartoon in which Donald Duck plays a Nazi munitions worker (and says "Heil Hitler" all over the place). Is it always reprehensible? Is it effective? Might this kind of thing backfire? Are there any gray areas when it comes to teaching children to hate--or, at least, hatefully express their national/religious identity?
[Ben Greenman's acclaimed new book of fiction, A Circle is a Balloon And Compass Both: Stories About Human Love, is now available at bookstores.]
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 14)
46. These children are not being taught anything but the truth, unlike America's children were they are being taught to be racist against muslims as well as blacks. The children in Palestine are yung adults they see the truth and speak it unlike american children who are manipulated by their parents and television that show muslims and blacks are always the bad people. Why can't people stop being so ignorant and obnoxious and take time to READ about other cultures and religions. How could you say such harsh coments about people you don't even know. They are living beings as well as all of you are, have your parents taught you to respect other peoples religions, We muslims have to live life 24/7 being discriminated against and look at the aferican americans they went through so much HOW CAN YOU PEOPLE BE SO DISRESPECTFUL!
ramadan at 2:44PM on May 9th 2007
47. Go figure. Islam is a religion founded by a man who took his son's wife for his own sexual use. And he married his last wife when she was only five (but the marriage wasn't consumated until she was the ripe old age of nine). Slaverey, including sexual slavery, is not only tolerated, but encouraged, and thrives throughout much of the Islamic world. Moslems are commanded to convert, kill, or enslave all non Moslems, and are the reason for much of the violence and discord throughout the world. Lock Hugh Hefner, Ted Bundy, and Adolph Hitler in a room together, until they create their own religion, and Islam is what they'll come up with.
James Wells at 2:46PM on May 9th 2007
48. Anyone who BRAIN RAPES a child deserves nothing less than to be labotomized so that they can no longer think up such hidious things but spend the rest of their lives wandering in stupidity that they voluntarily live in any way.
R.L. at 2:46PM on May 9th 2007
49. When Christians wake up and realize this hate is aimed at Christians as well as Jews they will take it seriously. Muslims want to wipe out the entire non-Muslim world.
All Christians have to do is look at what is happening in Europe and America today.
The Right wingers think this is a left wing issue. As always they are wrong. When we stop using their oil they'll have less money to export hate; we'll have greater security.
AlexK at 2:48PM on May 9th 2007
50. I actually appreciated this comment:
"5. I would love to see the whole video not the cut and past one that above."
I'm so glad to see people are critically thinking + consuming their media.
D
wanya at 2:47PM on May 9th 2007
51. I cannot believe how common this is. Bush has pushed for an independent Palestinian nation to bring peace and they turn around and post this?! On a children's program no less?! I don't care if you are liberal or conservative, but does this not disturb you that these children are being taught that it's ok to kill other people based simply on religious preference? I can only imagine what would happen if any one of those children heard in that video would grow up to become some kind of world leader. I pray that never happens; but if it should, I pray that my family won't be on this planet to witness it.
bootsbootsie35 at 2:51PM on May 9th 2007
52. I can;t blame them. You should hear what I teach kids in my school and my neighborhood about the arabs and muslims pigs. These kids want to go arab hunting by the end of the day. I hope one day some of these children will grow up to slaughter any arab they see.
Makes sense, to be just like them don;t you think? Now if I can only get a gun permit for these youngsters.
lwreastsidenyc at 2:53PM on May 9th 2007
53. This is the scariest thing I have ever seen. Ever. I'm a big Disney fan from childhood and I am just...wanting to cry.
A mouse singing songs about death and singing and teaching kids to murder and hate people like he's singing the theme to the Mickey Mouse Club. And that's NORMAL to them! I am completely scared for what the next generation (as well as us now) has to deal with. What do you do with that? I cant even wrap my head around it.
vj at 2:57PM on May 9th 2007
54. Who is this Ben Greenman idiot? Bugs bunny imitating Hitler is not propaganda, it is called humor-Benny boy, Bugs was making fun of Hitler! Mocking him. That's what I saw when I saw that cartoon, did you really think that the cartoon endorsed or glorified the Nazi regime? Are you really that lame and have you really bought in to the party line so much that you believe that? When did Bugs Bunny tell the kiddies to destroy the Jews, Blacks or anyone else while referring to themselves as the great ones and asking American children to fignt without surrender for a religion? We must not have seen the same cartoon and clip. How do imbeciles like Ben Greenman get published?
Sickofstupidity at 3:13PM on May 9th 2007
55. To equate Zionism as Nazi-ism or on the same level as the detestable, so called and self-acclaimed Palestinians, whose basis for justice is their perverse Quran, which teaches and gives men a right to dole out corporal punishment to their wives, and teaches to kill the Jews from behind every tree and rock, and acclaims Mohammed as a prophet, (who had a proclivity for little girls, having married a seven year old child, and who raped and murdered his own sister), is astonishing! To say one hates Zionism, after 2,000 years of Christian murder and deprication of the very Torah upon which Christian religion is in a great part founded, as is Islam's religion, is a veiled way of saying I hate Jews! Israel ALWAYS belonged to the Jews and G-d's eternal gift to His eternal people. If yo choke on these truths, then too bad! Go take it up with G-d!
Israel is STILL a beacon of light to the world!
beshtisbest at 2:54PM on May 9th 2007
56. As saddened and sickened as I am like most of you, I just had to say to those of you who "don't think it's so bad", how ironic it is that while they talk about themselves as being the hub of all civilization and the inventors of all, the back drop of the children's television show, one to hate westerner's, is decorated with western letters and numbers...anyone recognize the decor on the wall as something we all saw in Costco or Wal-Mart for our pre-schooler's?...the hiprocrisy would also be funny if it wasn't so frightening!
Ann at 2:55PM on May 9th 2007
57. I love how Palestinian = Muslim. Pick up a book and educate yourselves, people. Palestinian is a nationality, Islam is a religion. There are many Palestinian Christians, among other faiths. And I love how this video was taken from some independent website that posts sporradic footage from the middle east. Whatever serves your twisted opinions, I guess. Maybe we should mention how every single Israeli citizen must enter the army at one point in their lives. Whether you wrap it up in a military suit or a sad excuse of a mickey mouse, it's the same thing. And we as Americans have no right to comment about other's reactions to oppression (60 years and counting for the Palestinians by a terrorist state -- oops, sorry, I meant terrorist state hiding behind the pretense of defense). We go through one traumatic event in our lives and see therapists for the rest of our lives. What about Palestinian children who are born, live, and die under Israeli warplanes and missiles? Where are their years of therapy? Funny how we take our twisted double-standards, and still don't apply them to a reality we will never know or experience ourselves.
Olivia at 2:58PM on May 9th 2007
58. I agree with response # 15. While I do not agree with hate propaganda or the message that this character is sending out, we have to remember that we displaced a whole population in order to create the zionist state. People whos families lived in Isreal for generations were uprooted in order to create a haven for the "chosen people". I can see why they have this animosity but I believe that the propaganda that they are putting out there is both disturbing and wrong. As long as they continue to preach hate instead of peace we will continue to have these problems in the future. Hopefully influencial nations, like the great one that we live in, can change the course of hatred that we are headed on right now to a more understanding and peaceful one. Viloence never brings peace or prosperity, only understanding and tolerance can do that.
dew at 3:00PM on May 9th 2007
59. Pretty sad that the world puts up with this kind of sub-human behavior. Feel bad for the kids that the hatred of the parents allows this. Intelligence goes hand in hand. If these idiots had any brains they'd realize they won't win. But as you can see from the video, they don't.
Bob at 3:00PM on May 9th 2007
60. thier chicks are beat too, ugh!
Sam Champion at 9:24AM on Jun 14th 2007