The Paris attacks are horrendous

and all terrorism is always wrong.

One of the problems we have today is that we are still distinguishing between one form of violence and another. We have, in other words, taken the saying that “one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist” a bit too seriously. Any form of terrorism is a statement against civilised behaviour and, therefore, by definition, to be condemned. Frankly, what James Bond is doing in films would be as horrendous if it happened in practice as what was done in Paris last night. None of this violence is acceptable.

There is no need to go into details here, because there are plenty of examples. But while societies champion any form of black ops activity, they are also in effect giving some licence to the terrorists to defend their own despicable behaviour. This is no defence. There is no moral credibility in killing, maiming, or terrifying another. There is no such thing as “collateral damage”. There has to be an understanding that there can be only an absolute condemnation for all such activity.

The ISIL/ISIS/Al Qaida campaign and response can only stop when there is a clear understanding that terrorism is unanimously wrong. This needs to be clearly established in the West and in the Islamic world. It is a moral and a religious issue more than a political one. Politicians will always adopt a pragmatic goal, but we need to establish and re-affirm some absolutes because the rhetoric of retribution can sometime confuse the issue. These absolutes are already in the key texts but they need to be repeated because of the damage done to the texts by revisionists like, for instance, Khomeini: suicide is always forbidden in Islam and the death of any innocent is always forbidden in any conflict. These two statements alone rule out most of the acts of terror we have been witnessing recently. There can be no way to challenge this and we badly need a pan-Islamic council recognised throughout the Muslim world to champion this fact. Everything else is a footnote to this.

Then, we have to undertake as civilised societies to stop the secret war- to reign in the assassinations and the abductions. Bond might make great entertainment, but it is not the way to conduct international business or to fight this campaign. It is time to draw a line.

難民危機 – 子ども達を守れ
Refugee crisis – save the children

今日、私の頭は、ある「人種差別的」だと言われる日本の漫画イラスト画像のことで一杯だった。最初は、ジョー・サッコ（Joe Sacco）のような”天才的な”アーティストが描くような差別的な描写なのだろうと思っていたが、その漫画イラスト画像は、明らかに元の写真では笑みを浮かべていない少女がベースになっていた。だがイラストの方では、ニヤつくような描写があった。これは何か独特なスタイルなのかと思っていた。

My attention was drawn today to a Japanese manga image which had been described as “Racist”. I thought initially it was no more racist than something by the brilliant artist Joe Sacco, though the manga picture is based on a young girl who is clearly not smiling in the original photo. There is, though, a hint of a smirk in the manga. I assumed this was style or something.

そのイラスト画像は、この記事の一番最後に載せてある。

The original image is at the bottom of this blog

後になって、イラストの日本語のテキストを翻訳した記事を読んで、嫌悪感で一杯になった。あまりに一杯で、自分のメッセージとともにイラストを自分で描き直さずにはいられなかった。
その結果がこれである。

Later, I saw an article about this which translated the Japanese text and I was appalled. So much so that I have re-drawn the image and added my own text here:

このイラストは、６歳の女の子ジュディ（Judi）の写真を元にしている。漫画らしいスタイルを残そうとしたが、元の[写真]により同調的な仕上がりになっていればと思う。
このとても小さな女の子は、テントの街にいる。彼女がそこにいるのは、彼女の家族が、彼女を戦場から離そうとしたから。彼女自身がそう選んだからではない。彼女には、同情や憐れみ、そしてリスペクトが寄せられるべきであって、ハスミ氏が行ったような無粋な嘲笑の的とされるいわれはない。

In Glasgow, the Scottish MP Humza Yousaf regularly talks about welcoming Refugees.

グラスゴー（スコットランド）では、スコットランド議会のハムザ・ユサフ（Humza Yousaf）議員がよく、難民を歓迎すべきだと主張している。

私には、これは私たちの道義的な責務であり、文明国としての責任だと思える。それ以上に、EUでの国民投票が、前回の選挙の時のように、移民問題に落とし込まれないようにしなければならない。

It seems to me that this is our moral duty and our responsibility as a civilized country. More than that, we must ensure that the Referendum on the EU does not get bogged down, as was the last election, by a debate on immigration. The refugee crisis is set to continue for many years whether we are in or out of Europe and we will miss the opportunity to effect major change and reform in Brussels, or indeed to quit the EU project and forge alliances across Europe independently.

難民危機は今後、何年ものあいだ続くだろう。これは、私たちが欧州の中にいるか外にいるかの問題ではなく、またブリュッセルで大規模な改革を実施する機会を失うからだとか、EUというプロジェクトを棄てて欧州各国で同盟を作ろう、とかいう話でもない。

私たち [欧州市民]は、（1）差別主義者や偽善者に議論を支配させてはならず、（2）戦争の被害者に対する適切な対応を主導し、（3）救いを求める人びとに対して常にオープンでなければならない、ということなのである。

1) We cannot allow racists and bigots to hijack the debate. 2) we need to lead the way in promoting a proper response to the victims of war. 3) our doors must always be open to people in need.

オリジナルの宣伝（advert）では、こんなことが日本語で書かれていたらしい。

This is what the original advert said in Japanese apparently:

“I want to live a safe and clean life, eat gourmet food, go out, wear pretty things, and live a luxurious life… all at the expense of someone else,” reads the text on the illustration above. “I have an idea. I’ll become a refugee.”

アーティストのハスミトシコは、Change.orgのキャンペーンを受けて、画像を削除した。だが、本当の侮辱は、イラストよりもその文の内容にある。文の内容を把握すると、イラストの存在意義は全く異なるものになる。女の子の表情がはっきりしすぎているし、にやつきすぎている。きわめて失礼な描写なのである。

The artist, Toshiko Hasumi removed the picture after a campaign by a Change.org. It is the text that really causes offence here, rather than the image. But once the text is clear, the image itself takes on a new identity- the girl is too aware, she smirks too much. It is deeply disrespectful.

「それでも私は、何があっても謝りません」

と、ハスミ氏は言う。
「日本とは違って、海外では自分の過ちを認めたら必ず法廷闘争で負けるからです。」

“But I will not apologize no matter what,” she said. “Because unlike in Japan, you’re destined to lose in a court battle overseas once you’ve admitted to your fault.”

ハスミ氏はさらにこう主張する。
「このイラストは、全ての難民を否定するものではなく、本当に救われるべき難民に紛れてやってくる、より安全でより快適な生活を外国の地に求める偽装難民を揶揄したものです」と。

She went on to say that the image was an attack on economic migrants who are “pursing a safer, more comfortable life in a foreign land under the guise of pitiable asylum seekers.”

一方で撮影した写真家は、「シリアの人びとの窮状を貶める恥ずべき誤った表現だ」とし、「無垢な少女の子どもの肖像が、このような邪な偏見を表現するのに用いられたことに衝撃を受け、深い哀しみをおぼえる」と述べている。

The photographer said it was a “shameful misrepresentation of the plight of the Syrian people” and that he was “Shocked + deeply saddened anyone would choose to use an image of an innocent child to express such perverse prejudice,”

日本はシリア難民は受け入れないが、シリアやイランの難民支援のため8.1億ドルを拠出することを約束した。昨年難民申請をした5000名のうち、認定されたのは11名だったという。

Japan will not accept Syrian refugees but has pledged $810 million to aid refugees from Syria and Iraq. Of 5000 asylum seekers who applied last year, Japan accepted 11.

これはただの[支援の]始まりであって、私の日本の友人たちの多くは、この危機を打開するためにもっと為されるべきことがある筈だと感じていると思う。勿論、日本がもっとも影響を受けている国々を支援しようと考えることは間違ってはいない。

This is a start and I know many of my Japanese friends are keen to see more done to help in the crisis. Also, of course, Japan is right to support the countries most affected.
しかしハスミトシコには、疑問符のつく行動が見られる。とくに二次大戦中、日本に訪れた朝鮮人女性について、相当ネガティブなことを書いてきた。

Toshiko Hasumi, however, has a record of questionable behaviour and has apparently written fairly negatively about Korean women who came to Japan especially during the 2nd World war.
救いは、日本でこのことに対する怒りが爆発したことだった！

Thank God there has been outrage about this in Japan!

(here is another Japanese counter-image)

Original post by: Tim Wilson

Translated by: Office BALÉS

Meanwhile here is another image that I am working on – The owl and the pussycat, having travelled in the Pea-green boat for so long, seek sanctuary in the land where the bong tree grows.

I am a bit cautious about using the image of the small girl, even in an attempt to refocus the debate or to undo the nastiness of the original. I think this debate should have its own mascot. Any ideas welcome!

Reprinted from other posts on the internet:

 the original sketch and below development of the tree. at bottom the rough colour version (without shading and details..) More Gallipoli/anzac cove pictures to come

The latest updates on the JUMBLIES

Here is a scene from Topsy Turvy which probably reproduces the original rehearsal process. certainly the story of miss sixpence is well-documented. It shows a nice instance of the move from caricature and implicit racism to something that draws its humour from observation of real life.

Here is the final product as done in australia:

I last saw Ron Moody singing a radio recording of “Follies” at Drury Lane. Here he is doing a TV recording of “Reviewing the situation”-

Birmingham: