UAE Blocks Ahmed and Salim Cartoon

Or Paz and Tom Trager Create South Park-Influenced Israeli Series

Mar 4, 2009 Dominic von Riedemann

United Arab Emirates officials have blocked the Israeli-based cartoon Ahmed and Salim from showing on YouTube in that country.

Officials in the United Arab Emirates have blocked access to a controversial online animated series, after they received complaints that the show mocked Muslims.

The series, called Ahmed and Salim, is a South Park-influenced cartoon featuring two Muslims who thwart all attempts to turn them into terrorists. The titular teens watch Western TV shows, and play computer games, to the chagrin of their father Yasser who wants them to commit terrorist acts.

"We informed the two UAE Internet service providers, Etisalat and Du, of the decision, and they blocked the movie," a Telecommunications Regulatory Authority spokesman told AlArabiya.net. "Now users who try to see it will get an 'access denied' message."

In the first episode, Ahmed and Salim attempt to bomb an Israeli bus but, after they detour for an ice cream cone, they accidentally blow up a UAE bus instead. Another depicts the duo bonding with a Jewish teenager over Guitar Hero.

Everyone speaks gibberish, liberally salted with English terms like "dickwad" and "pussy," while Hebrew and English subtitles run along the bottom of the screen. Israeli-based animators Tom Trager and Or Paz put together the series, which currently features 4 episodes.

Another TRA spokesperson told the Khaleej Times that, "We have given choice to the Internet users in the country and not blocked (YouTube) entirely. Adult content on the Web site that is clearly against the religious, cultural, political and moral values of the UAE will automatically be blocked."

"Now all Internet subscribers in the UAE cannot access the movie," Etisalat vice-president Ahmed Bin Ali told AlArabiya.net.

Tom Trager and Or Paz Created Online Cartoon Ahmed and Salim

The show highly resembles South Park, both in form and content. Despite a highly intrusive laugh track, only about 50% of the jokes work. Many gags revolve around Islamists' treatment of women.

"Do it or I'll shoot your mother!" Yasser raves, after killing a burqa-clad woman with his pistol.

"But you just shot Mom," Ahmed replies.

Another episode features Yasser saying, "I'm gonna go rape a bunch of 10-year-olds."

Ahmed and Salim "dangerous and full of lies"

The show has sparked controversy in Palestine and around the world.

"This . . . will in no case favour reconciliation between Jewish and Arab communities," 23-year-old Palestinian journalist and blogger Sameh Akram Habeeb told France 24's The Observers. "It can only spawn hate."

"The idea of using a cartoon to depict something evil always attracted us because of its obvious irony," responded Paz and Trager in the same article. "We’re not trying to mock Muslims, we are making fun of terrorists who are frankly ridiculous if you can take a good look at them without being afraid. Ahmed and Salim are just two nice naive kids who are just trying to make their terrorist father happy. "

Farfur: Hamas Inciting Palestinian Children to Terrorism

This isn't the first time the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has spilled onto the arts. In 2007, Hamas-owned Al-Aqsa TV aired a children's show called Tomorrow's Pioneers, which featured a Mickey Mouse look-a-like named Farfur. Farfur, and his 12-year-old co-host Saraa', claimed that “We are setting with you the cornerstone for world leadership under Islamic leadership.”

They also nodded approvingly as a juvenile phone-in caller said, "We will annihilate the Jews. I will commit martyrdom." In the final episode, following an international uproar, Farfur was depicted being murdered by an Israeli agent.

Israelis and Palestinians condemned the show as "pure evil."

The copyright of the article UAE Blocks Ahmed and Salim Cartoon in Animated Films is owned by Dominic von Riedemann. Permission to republish UAE Blocks Ahmed and Salim Cartoon in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

a scene from Ahmed and Salim

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Comments

Jul 15, 2009 6:57 AM

Guest :

Hmmm
First, it's not gibberish, it's a mixture of Arabic, Hebrew and English, way to be culturally centered!
Second, a lot of people think that cartoon simply exerts the fact that terrorist bodies prevent everyday palestinians from having normal lives by forcefully driving them to terrorism, much like Yasser does to his kids, who just want to play video games.
Third, it's absurd that you quoted Palestinian rants about the show without a single shred of Israeli point of view, not to mention a comment from the animators themselves.

Jul 15, 2009 8:48 PM

Dominic von Riedemann :

Thank you very much for your post. If you don't mind, I'd like to address some of what you said.

1) Other commentators described it as "gibberish" and, since my school never offered Arabic and Hebrew classes, I wouldn't be able to distinguish them.

2) A fair comment, and I'm glad you mentioned that.

3) Actually, I quoted the show's creators Tom Trager and Or Paz. Here's the 14th paragraph below.

"The idea of using a cartoon to depict something evil always attracted us because of its obvious irony," responded Paz and Trager in the same article. "We’re not trying to mock Muslims, we are making fun of terrorists who are frankly ridiculous if you can take a good look at them without being afraid. Ahmed and Salim are just two nice naive kids who are just trying to make their terrorist father happy."

Cheers.

Nov 26, 2009 3:17 PM

Guest :

how can you compare Ahmed and Salim to Farfur??? anyone can see Ahmed and Salim is a joke, but Farfur is pure propaganda that is teaching Palestinian children to hate and want to kill Jews.

3 Comments