Ali Ferzat

I think that the first most important thing is that we all agree on what self-censorship and censorship actually mean.

Self-censorship is “the exercising of control over what one says and does, especially to avoid criticism” (Oxford Dictionaries | English, 2016)

Censorship is “the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security” (Oxford Dictionaries | English, 2016)

Although they sound a like these two words are completely different from each other. Self-censorship is voluntary whilst censorship is forced by law. So Ferzat in Syria is censored not to rebel and draw cartoons depicting President Bashar. But instead breaks this law and rebels against injustices, to defend and give a voice to the people of Syria.

When he was asked how he felt that now he was doing his own publications instead of having a publisher after the incident, he replied that Facebook reaches everywhere in the world anyway and that publishers can use his drawings freely without any rights violation.

By doing so he is making it easier to spread the word. Facebook is used by a lot of people now a days and things can get shared along the world in a couple of minutes. By removing the hassle of paying or getting permission for rights makes it faster and easier for the publishers to incorporate his drawings in their work. Ferzat would still manage to achieve his goal, since it is not to earn money but to pass on the message and make humanity conscious about injustices.

He also said that if it was not for the people who are supporting and reacting to his work, he would have been killed a long time ago. Apart from his courage to rebel and give people hope and motivation, he is stating that team work or co-operation is crucial. Since people are reacting and that the President needs his people to maintain his power, by killing Ferzat probably he would have started an instant civil war, instead he tried to silence him by breaking both of his hands.

After the incident, he said that people from all over Syria visited him and artists supported him by making caricatures about him and his aggression. He stayed one more month in Syria and said “You can kill me, I am staying”.

References

Oxford Dictionaries | English, 2016. censorship - definition of censorship in English. [Online] Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/censorship [Accessed 18 November 2016].

Oxford Dictionaries | English, 2016. self-censorship - definition of self-censorship in English. [Online] Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/self-censorship [Accessed 18 November 2016].