Another Cartoon that the Clerics Didnt Like

I wonder how many people remember this cartoon? The Iranian cartoonist, Manouchehr Karimzadeh, had intended to show how the Iranian Football Federation was in effect cutting the arm and leg of the Iranian football players by cutting their training budget.

The cartoonist was sentenced to 10 years jail, massive financial fines and a life ban from working as a cartoonist. Why? because the clerics thought the figure in the cartoon resembled Khomeini!

Karimzadeh received very little international solidarity from the Western media, if any.

Also, does anyone remember who at the time was the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance? Jack Straw's and Western media's beloved "reformist" Prrrrresident Khatami ;) The initiator of "Dialogue Amongst Civilisations" :)))

When they came for the communists
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
Pastor Martin Niemöller