"Banned Frank" stirs controversy

[Wanted Man]

http://data.boomerang.nl/r/redactie/image/banned-frank-by-t/large/banned.jpg

This picture has been used as a graffiti for a long time. But now, the humourous postcard company Boomerang has made it into a postcard. It was selected by editor Birgit Schuurman.

It was bound to piss some people off. Namely, the Centre for Information and Documentation Israel. CIDI is a Jewish group that wants to improve Dutch-Israeli relations and expand knowledge on Israel.

CIDI believes the card to be "a falsification of history without class". It demands that cinemas, pubs and universities stop spreading it. Boomerang does not recognize the criticism. "The maker tries to spread fraternity and reconciliation", according to their site.

www.boomerang.nl (http://www.boomerang.nl)
www.cidi.nl (http://www.cidi.nl)

[Raúl Duke]

"a falsicifaction of history without class"? exactly what do they mean?

What does a postcard/griffiti of Anne Frank have to do with class?

What does this mean (from the site): "Op de kaart, die sinds 14 januari in de bekende Boomerangrekken hangt, staat een beeltenis van Anne Frank met om haar nek een ‘Palestijnensjaal'."

[Wanted Man]

The word is "stijlloos", which literally means "without style". What it means is that it's not "classy".

The part you pasted means: "On the card, which is hanging in the well-known Boomerang racks since 14 January, is a picture of Anne Frank with a 'Palestinian scarve' around her neck."

The racks are "well-known" because they're in many cinemas and pubs.

[Edelweiss]

This is actually quiet offensive to any rational thinking leftist who has a bit of brain left. This is just very bad taste. A shame you posted this here.

The image is exploiting Anne Frank's legacy and all victims of the Nazi crimes in general just to "piss piss some people off" as you admit yourselve, I&A. Disgusting indeed, no matter who you stand on Israel and Palestine.

Cool kids don't war Palestinian scarves. ;)

[Wanted Man]

"It was bound to piss some people off" means that it was likely to happen, because there will always be some angry organization demanding the image to be withdrawn. Not that it was made for that specific purpose.

I posted it here because I was hoping to get some debate and see what people think of the "ethics" of this. You have a strong opinion on it, at least. ;) What do you make of a comparison to, say, Mohammed cartoons of Jyllands Posten?

Boomerang refuses to withdraw it. Their justification, headed "CIDI misinterprets":


This card is made by an artist, and published by guest editor Birgit Schuurman. The maker's aim is to promote fraternity and reconciliation. He laments that it is not considered like this.

CIDI's release speaks of falsification of history. This is not true. According to the maker, the work is about a desired vision of the future, where two oppressed peoples live together. The work has nothing to do with twisting historical facts.

Boomerang subscribes to CIDI's idea that history and actuality should not be taken out of context. Boomerang also recognizes that the Palestines are undergoing a different fate than the Dutch Jews during WWII. Boomering distances itself from CIDI's tendentious press release.

Boomerang sees the maker's intention in the card: an ideal vision of Palestinians and Jews living in peace.

EDIT: cool kids wear red keffiyehs.

[Module]

I doubt they would've printed this with the sole purpose of wanting to "piss some people off".
On the one hand you could say that it's "exploiting all victims of the Nazi crimes,"
but on the other you could say that it may be highlighting the hypocrisy of the Israeli occupation of Palestine from a historically jewish perspective.
And I'm not saying that I believe either of those specifically... just putting out some possibilities.

[Zurdito]

CIDI believes the card to be "a falsification of history without class".


because surely everyone is going to believe that Anne Frank was actually a Palestinian...

[Holden Caulfield]

oh no offensvie, a jew wearing a palestinian scarf,

what about alot of jews crushing palestinian homes, and killing refugees,

both used the legacy of Nazi opression to get their points across,

i love jews, i hate Israel

[Wanted Man]

Malte, do cool kids wear "Israeli scarves" instead? They are a politically correct version, for people who want to be hip, but not sympathize with oppressed peoples.

http://tourism.walla.co.il/?w=/1/1039036

http://mad.walla.co.il/archive/311913-5.jpg

Anyway, I want to try an experiment: I want to buy a red "PFLP" keffiyeh (or a black PLO one) and wrap it around my head like this:

http://www.actiongear.com/agcatalog/shemagh.html

If people inquire, I'll say: "Yes, it's because I support this organization, which fires rockets at Israel", and note down reactions.

Then, I'll wrap the "Israeli version" in the same manner, still looking like a stereotypical terrorist. If people ask, I'll say: "Actually, it's an Israeli headdress, I use it to show solidarity with Israel."

I wonder what the different reactions will be.

[BobKKKindle$]

The image is exploiting Anne Frank's legacy and all victims of the Nazi crimes in general just to "piss piss some people off" as you admit yourselve, I&A. Disgusting indeed, no matter who you stand on Israel and Palestine.

I don't see this as exploiting Frank's legacy. Israel's continued existence has often been justified, particularly during the immediate aftermath of the holocaust, on the grounds that the Jewish people require their own state in order to ensure that they will never again be subject to general discrimination or a program of ethnic cleansing. This graphic makes the point that, despite the suffering endured by the Jewish people, the 'Jewish state' is today responsible for the oppression of another group - the Palestinian people. Far from undermining the seriousness of the Holocaust, or trying to revise History, this graphic draws attention to the parallels between the violent oppression of these two peoples. Let's not accept the arguments of a group which has a clear interest in misrepresenting any kind of opposition to the state of Israel.

[Sleeping Dog]

Yeah maybe this or maybe that but like - When I'm with some old black buds and one refers to as "my white niggar" I don't respond "my black niggar.. yadda yadda". It's to much like nigger!