Fahd Bin Jolaid

Al-Jazirah

 

OVER the past two weeks three universities in Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates invited a number of cartoonists to present their art to students.



A caricature is considered a complete article all by itself. It has only replaced letters with drawings and shapes.



Our Saudi newspapers are not isolated. They had their own caricaturists since the art was first introduced by cartoonists such as Ali Al-Kharji and Mohammed Al-Khinaifir.



Thanks to the cartoonists, the Saudi readers are getting a big dose of critiques on various social issues. The cartoonists have been critical of a number of social practices and government performances.



The question here is: What have we done for these stars? We have not heard that they were honored or invited by any Saudi university to present the art to students or talk about their experiences in this field.



There was a time in the Kingdom when the caricatures were considered against Islam and the cartoonist a corrupt man.



The caricature is an international language understood by everyone. It does not need explanation with words. It is a soft weapon for the defense of the righteousness and the condemnation of the wrong.



I am ashamed that even our universities, the beacons of learning, are unable to understand the sarcastic caricature as a fine art presenting painful criticism that will make you smile when you are feeling bitter over your dreadful position.