Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., July 17, 2008 Tamuz 14, 5768 | | Israel Time: 13:01 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Contentious New Yorker magazine cover.
Last update - 20:37 15/07/2008
Obama campaign slams New Yorker cover showing him in Muslim garb, wife as terrorist
By The Associated Press
Tags: Obama, New Yorker cover 

Barack Obama's campaign has slammed a satirical New Yorker magazine cover that shows the Democratic presidential candidate dressed as a Muslim and his wife as a terrorist as "tasteless and offensive."

The illustration on the issue that hits newsstands Monday, titled The Politics of Fear and drawn by Barry Blitt, depicts Barack Obama wearing what is commonly construed by Western media as traditional Muslim garb - sandals, robe and turban - and his wife, Michelle - dressed in camouflage, combat boots and an assault rifle strapped over her shoulder - standing in the Oval Office.

The couple is doing a fist tap in front of a fireplace in which an American flag is burning. Over the mantle hangs a portrait of Osama bin Laden.
Advertisement
"The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton. "But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

In a statement Monday, the magazine said the cover combines a number of fantastical images about the Obamas and shows them for the obvious distortions they are.

"The burning flag, the nationalist-radical and Islamic outfits, the fist-bump, the portrait on the wall? All of them echo one attack or another. Satire is part of what we do, and it is meant to bring things out into the open, to hold up a mirror to prejudice, the hateful, and the absurd. And that's the spirit of this cover," the New Yorker statement said.

The statement also pointed to the two articles on Obama contained inside the magazine, calling them very serious.

Republican John McCain's campaign spokesman, Tucker Bonds, agreed that the cover was tasteless and offensive.

Already the cover was generating controversy on the Internet.

The Huffington Post, a left-leaning blog, said: Anyone who's tried to paint Obama as a Muslim, anyone who's tried to portray Michelle as angry or a secret revolutionary out to get Whitey, anyone who has questioned their patriotism - well, here's your image.

Related articles:
  • Ahead of Mideast trip, Obama backtracks on 'undivided' Jerusalem
  • U.S. presidential hopefuls use Hebrew to woo Jewish voters
  • N.Y. Mayor urges Jewish voters to denounce Obama Muslim rumors
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Hezbollah abduction
    How the Lebanese militia captured two IDF reservists in 2006, illustrated in pictures.
    Kuntar's crimes
    Israeli YouTube video details the 1979 terror attack perpetrated by Samir Kuntar.
      1.   Obama and Michelle. 01:11  |  sandra chitayat 15/07/08
      2.   Talkback WOW! 01:27  |  Ploni 15/07/08
      3.   tasteless stereotyping 02:02  |  judith 15/07/08
      4.   Oh, my word! 02:13  |  Jim 15/07/08
      5.   It`s just not funny 02:14  |  Aphemia 15/07/08
      6.   Judith in New York 02:48  |  wibism 15/07/08
      7.   THE TRUTH EXPOSED - AND PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT IT 03:10  |  David P 15/07/08
      8.   NRA 03:22  |  Jim 15/07/08
      9.   Racist 03:41  |  Abe 15/07/08
      10.   Agreed Jim 04:06  |  candida 15/07/08
      11.   wibism #6 04:42  |  judith 15/07/08
      12.   C. 05:10  |  C. 15/07/08
      13.   # 7 to david p in santa cruz 05:26  |  eric 15/07/08
      14.   Wibism- grow up 05:55  |  Shtarka 15/07/08
      15.   Sometimes... 06:21  |  Wally Shu 15/07/08
      16.   Nice finger pointing... 06:45  |  Ghostdog 15/07/08
      17.   obama-the leftist 06:56  |  Mark 15/07/08
      18.   Obama New York Cover 07:31  |  American 15/07/08
      19.   # 10 Stephen 07:50  |  Wise Saba 15/07/08
      20.   Dang! we are in trouble!???! 08:59  |  stork 15/07/08
      21.   Cheap journalism 09:07  |  Natallie Durson 15/07/08
      22.   Perhaps The New Yorker is not innocent 09:15  |  Shtarka 15/07/08
      23.   WIBISM where does she say that??? BTW are you going to organise 09:23  |  PETER SM 15/07/08
      24.   What`s the message that is delivered by this cover? 09:38  |  Clickfool 15/07/08
      25.   OBAMA MUST FIGHT BACK FIERCELY 10:59  |  indrajaya 15/07/08
      26.   cheap shot by the New Yorker 11:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/07/08
      27.   It might help obama because of wave of sympathy 11:10  |  don 15/07/08
      28.   #28 Jesse Jackson 11:32  |  H 15/07/08
      29.   THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF TIMES TO FIGHT 11:42  |  indrajaya 15/07/08
      30.   OUTRAGEOUS CAMPAIGN AGAINT EVERYTHING NON-CHRISTIAN AND NON-WHITE 11:59  |  indrajaya 15/07/08
      31.   It might help obama by engendering sympathy 12:01  |  Don 15/07/08
      32.   #27 Clicky, why are you "appalled", if Obama ´s a Moslem? 12:14  |  I don´t get it 15/07/08
      33.   #32 Indrajaya "This coalition of EVIL" 12:16  |  H 15/07/08
      34.   Politicians don`t get satire 12:19  |  David Teich 15/07/08
      35.   # 37, H 12:38  |  indrajaya 15/07/08
      36.   The bad taste 12:51  |  solomon 15/07/08
      37.   For "I don`t get it" # 36 13:15  |  Clickfool 15/07/08
      38.   INDRAJAYA.Why does Jackson want to "CUT OBAMA`S `NUTS OUT` 13:20  |  PETER SM 15/07/08
      39.   Desperados 13:29  |  Peter 15/07/08
      40.   # 42, PETER SM 13:36  |  indrajaya 15/07/08
      41.   Running for Cover 13:50  |  Ronnie Wolman 15/07/08
      42.   # 34. Indy. Quite correct. Mugabe must help Obama. 13:56  |  Stephen. 15/07/08
      43.   Why don`t people read the article 14:01  |  jackie 15/07/08
      44.   # 46, STEPHEN 14:06  |  indrajaya 15/07/08
      45.   OBAMA must never see the white house ! ! ! 14:18  |  sinalco 15/07/08
      46.   The Republican anti-Obama propaganda machine at work. 14:23  |  Marco 15/07/08
      47.   The nutcases are still out there 14:34  |  RW 15/07/08
      48.   #5 Aphemia....Let`s face it, nothing is sacred to 15:06  |  Lynn 15/07/08
      49.   It`s only a magazine cover. Will it change anyone`s vote? 15:07  |  Realist 15/07/08
      50.   #39 Indrajaya 15:10  |  H 15/07/08
      51.   Obama is good for Israel 15:17  |  Tosefta 15/07/08
      52.   #34 INDY...before you explode 15:31  |  Lynn 15/07/08
      53.   #39 INDY.....most of us do NOT vote based 15:49  |  Lynn 15/07/08
      54.   #44 INDY....Jackson`s son is one of the 15:55  |  Lynn 15/07/08
      55.   Imagine in `00 Joe Liberman as an elder of Zion Cartoon 16:15  |  Sick 15/07/08
      56.   #15 ERIC, WHY BURY THE TRUTH IN A HOLE AS YOU SUGGEST I DO? 16:25  |  David P 15/07/08
      57.   Wow, after seeing the reaction, I need to get to a newsstand STAT 16:37  |  Jacob Blues 15/07/08
      58.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 16:46  |  KATHY 15/07/08
      59.   # 22 Wise Saba and Stephen.Hitting the Nail on The Head Yes!!! 16:50  |  KATHY 15/07/08
      60.   Protests of caricature? 16:50  |  curious 15/07/08
      61.   # 59, LYNN 16:53  |  indrajaya 15/07/08
      62.   CFOOL What is the message delivered by regular BBC lies ? 16:55  |  PETER SM 15/07/08
      63.   # 58, LYNN 16:58  |  indrajaya 15/07/08
      64.   # 49 sinalco OBAMA must never see the white house ! ! I AGREED!! 17:01  |  KATHY 15/07/08
      65.   # 56, LYNN 17:01  |  indrajaya 15/07/08
      66.   Classic Case of the Left Pirouetting Off the Stage... 17:03  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 15/07/08
      67.   Who cares 17:06  |  johnjf 15/07/08
      68.   # 65 curious..Protest of caricature? 17:12  |  KATHY 15/07/08
      69.   Where did The New Yorker get the photograph from? 17:21  |  Sharon Wilson 15/07/08
      70.   FYI: If you ever try to post in Al Jazeera do not say anything 17:22  |  Funny 15/07/08
      71.