Cartoons

It was the year 2005 when a global debate about the freedom of religion, press, art and expression has been unleashed. It was the Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who sparked this discussion with his Mohammed drawings. Now, 10 years later, a lot has happened in the world - but one thing remains: From the perspective of radical Islamists their prophet must not be shown.

Caricature means: "Funny exaggerated representation of human or of social situations, also including political and propagandistic background." So much regarding the rhetoric. Even back in ancient times caricatural drawings were seen in circulation. And in Great Britain and France of the 18th and 19th century excellent draftsman strove in the satirical field.

The satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has been around in France since the '70s. The newspaper has always been famous for its sharp pen, with which its drawers want to approach the evil of the world. And so it was also one of the few media that reprinted the Mohammed cartoons by the Danish Jylland in 2006, expanded by some caricatures of Muslims. However, there were also other drawings that burped other religious communities up. The Catholic Church already conduct 14 lawsuits against the newspaper, which it lost all.

Then during a weekly editorial meeting an Islamist-motivated terrorist attack was perpetrated on the editorial staff in 2015. 12 people were killed. Europe and the Western world were in a state of shock - and this because of a few harmless drawings! Because actually it is not more. In the modern world, everyone is allowed to draw what she or he wants - and that also includes sometimes Muhammad cartoons.

Gero Hilliger advances this view. The German cartoonist holds ten world records as a caricaturist and cartoonist. Gero Hilliger draws portraits and caricatures with great humour in a professional way, unerring and as quick as a flash. And this is the most important pertaining to a good caricature - it is to make people laugh!