In the most serious of times, cartoons can express emotions that words sometimes can’t. They are also able to bring a light-hearted touch to difficult situations and saddening news, while still conveying an important message.
This year saw some pretty horrific Middle East news, and along with all of the hard-hitting reports came the simple drawings speaking a thousand words.
Here are some of the cartoons that illustrated some of the Middle East's biggest moments.
Charlie Hebdo attacks: He Drew First
In January, militants affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) killed 12 people at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo over the magazine's controversial drawings of the Prophet Mohammed. David Pope’s cartoon highlighted the attackers flawed logic and intolerance for free speech.
Saudi Arabia hits Houthi targets in Yemen
Tensions in Yemen escalated this year into all out civil war, with two factions claiming to be the legitimate government of the country. Last year, Houthi forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh launched an offensive against those loyal to the government of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. Saudi Arabia joined the conflict in March, with airstrikes aimed at restoring Hadi to power. On the other hand, Iran is accused of supporting the Houthis militarily.
Supporters of both sides of the conflict have taken to creating cartoons to articulate their feelings about the war. Iran even hosted a cartoon contest on the Saudi "invasion" and picked some pretty shocking winners. Below is the first place cartoon of that competition, followed by a pro-Saudi one which attempts to point out Iranian hypocrisy in objecting to Saudi involvement in Yemen.
The Lebanese trash crisis
Lebanon descended into crisis once again this year, this time over trash. Protesters took to the streets over the summer to demonstrate against the government's failure to dispose of waste after Beirut's main landfill was closed. The movement became known as the #YouStink campaign, and voiced the Lebanese people's ongoing resentment towards their government's inability to effectively rule the country.
A number of cartoons have energed during the ongoing trash crisis in Lebanon, but perhaps one of the most memorable is entitled "Absence of the state," published in An-Nahar newspaper. It compares a Lebanon plagued with sandbags during the civil war with a Lebanon now plagued with rubbish bags.
Aylan Kurdi's tragic death highlighted the plight of refugees
The harrowing image of 3-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi washed up on the shore, dead, hit the world hard in September. The famous photo of his lifeless body was immortalized in history as a symbol of the struggles faced by refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East. Millions of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other impoverished or war-torn nations have attempted to reach Europe this year by any means possible.
Many have taken to crossing the Mediterranean Sea in unsafe rafts, which has led to thousands of deaths. Children such as Aylan Kurdi are often seen as the most tragic victims in this crisis. Jordanian cartoonist Rafat Alkhateeb's drawing perhaps said it better than any writing could.
Russia enters the fight in Syria
Russia entered the Syrian war militarily in September, bombing targets in an effort to help the Syrian regime retake lost territory and tackle Daesh and rebel groups. Some now consider the conflict to be a proxy war between Russia and the US, with both nations supporting different sides in the fight.
Russia commencing airstrikes in Syria changed drastically the conflict, some say in a positive direction while others disagree. The first cartoon, published in support of Russia, shows the US efforts in Syria as unsuccessful while highlighting the perceived successes of the Russian operations. The second cartoon, from the other side of the debate, depicts Russian president Vladimir Putin as helping President Bashar al-Assad kill civiians.
