In media everywhere, political and business figures are laughed upon by publishing cartoons on printed media and the internet. The purpose of political cartoon is to bring in a touch of humour into the whole game of reporting and in the case of internet, this have become a lot easier with the availability of graphic design softwares like Adobe Photoshop.
It is quite amazing that Gayyoom is unable to digest these cartoons and satirical images of himself. The purpose of which is to make him a laughing stock really and create an image of him as a useless figure. He deserves such treatment because he has practically destroyed our nation with his iron fist rule over the last 27 year. This is the main reason why we have created the KOTO (cartoons and photo-images) section on DO and it is one of the main received huge support from our readers. Gayyoom et al, have however tried to use this as a tool to discredit DO by saying that it is disrespectful to publish cartoon and satire if DO was a decent website.
Gayyoom however is forgetting one thing very important but then we cannot blame him as he suffers from amnesia (loss of memory). When he was supposedly elected in 1978, one of his very first propaganda operations was to destroy the image of his predecessor, former president Ibrahim Nasir. Several extreme images of Nasir was drawn and produced. They were printed on local papers, magazines and even large displays were erupted around the country. So Gayyoom is Father of Cartoons in Maldives.
Below is a collection of such images by the famous Maldivian artist Chilhiyaa Moosa Manik which shows that when it mattered to Gayyoom he had no qualms about it because it served his purpose. World leaders around the globe can absorb these kinds of expressions but Gayyoom thinks that he is above all of them. In US, UK and other democratic nations like India, there is really no limit to what they can produce any cartoon or image without repercussion but in Maldives it is a crime against the State and one is certain to be confined to a cell in jail for life for attempting to disturb the peace and harmony of the country according to Gayyoom.
Times have changed Gayyoom. It is time to grow up and act like a human being, if you really are one.
