Toons Mag

{{Main|2007 Bangladesh cartoon controversy}}

In 2007, Cartoonist Arifur Rahman started drawing for a Bangladeshi satirical magazine called Alpin.{{Cite web|url=https://rsf.org/en/news/cartoonist-arrested-over-harmless-play-name-mohammed|title=Cartoonist arrested over harmless play on name Mohammed {{!}} Reporters without borders|date=19 September 2007|work=RSF|language=en|access-date=19 July 2019|quote=Reporters Without Borders calls for the immediately release of Arifur Rahman, a cartoonist with Aalpin, the daily newspaper Prothom Alo's weekly satirical supplement.}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/r/rahman_arifur.htm|title=Arifur Rahman|work=Lambiek|access-date=22 May 2019}} It was a fun supplementary publication by Prothom Alo.

In Alpin, one of his cartoons that made a joke about adding Mohammad to the beginning of a person's name. The cartoon culminates in a young boy introducing his cat as Mohammad Cat.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sampsoniaway.org/interviews/2013/05/17/bangladeshi-cartoonist-arifur-rahman-on-calling-a-cat-%e2%80%9cmohammad%e2%80%9d/|title=Bangladeshi Cartoonist Arifur Rahman on Calling a Cat "Mohammad" {{!}} Sampsonia Way Magazine|access-date=8 July 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://ifex.org/cartoonist-arrested-over-harmless-play-on-name-mohammed/|title=Cartoonist arrested over harmless play on name Mohammed|date=19 September 2007|website=IFEX|access-date=8 July 2019}} The cartoon, which was published during the Islamic holiday of Ramadan, ignited protests across Bangladesh and led to Arifur Rahman's arrest.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7006528.stm|title=Violence over Bangladesh cartoon|date=21 September 2007|access-date=22 May 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bangladesh-cartoon-idUSSP17474120070921|title=Bangladesh suspends magazine over controversial cartoon|date=21 September 2007|work=Reuters|access-date=22 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-113872|title=Cartoonist Arif jailed|date=12 November 2009|website=The Daily Star|access-date=22 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.voabangla.com/a/a-16-2007-09-18-voa4-94424444/1395219.html|title=Cartoonist Arifur Rahman Arrested in Bangladesh for Offensive Cartoon|website=ভিওএ|language=bn|access-date=22 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2007/09/18/prothom-alo-cartoonist-arrested|title=Prothom Alo cartoonist arrested|last=|first=|date=|website=bdnews24|access-date=22 May 2019}}{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7003514.stm|title=Cartoonist jailed in Bangladesh|date=19 September 2007|access-date=22 May 2019}}

File:Women’s rights exhibition opening.jpeg, Founder and Publisher of Toons Mag.]]

On 18 September 2007, Alpin was banned permanently and the editor of Alpin was suspended.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bangladesh-cartoon-idUSSP17474120070921|title=Bangladesh suspends magazine over controversial cartoon|date=21 September 2007|work=Reuters|access-date=8 July 2019}} Bangladeshi newspaper editors decided that they will never be published his cartoons in the future. In prison, Arifur Rahman wished that when he was freed, he would be able to start a magazine like Alpin. On 20 March 2008, after six months and two days in prison for "hurting religious sentiments," he was freed but found himself unable to publish his work.{{Cite web|url=https://journalen.oslomet.no/bangladesh/2011/05/far-endelig-tegne-hva-han-vil|title=Får endelig tegne hva han vil|work=Journalen|language=nb|access-date=19 July 2019|quote=Rahman tegner ofte ut fra fantasien. Illustrasjon Arifur Rahman Kunne ikke bruke navnet sitt}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2007/sep/20/bangladeshcartoonistarrested|title=Bangladesh cartoonist arrested|last=Greenslade|first=Roy|date=20 September 2007|work=The Guardian|access-date=8 July 2019|issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web|url=https://bdnews24.com/politics/2008/03/20/cartoonist-arif-freed|title=Cartoonist Arif freed|date=20 March 2008|work=bdnews24|access-date=22 May 2019}}

One year later, some newspapers published his cartoons but all of them were published anonymously. Arifur Rahman was not happy to publish his cartoon anonymously. He always wished to publish his cartoons under his own name. So, he tried to start a printed cartoon magazine but did not have enough money. Then, he decided to publish on the internet, a cheap and easy way to get a global audience. In 2009, he started, Toons Mag Online Cartoon Magazine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrk.no/kultur/bok/avistegning-forte-til-fengsel-1.11053647|title=Avistegning førte til fengsel|last=Sigvartsen|first=Ana Leticia|date=1 June 2013|work=NRK|language=nb-NO|access-date=10 July 2019}}

In 2015, Toons won "Best of online activism awards" in the people's choice category in Deutsche Welle, Germany.{{Cite web|url=http://thebobs.com/english/category/2015/peoples-choice-for-bengali-2015/|title=People's Choice for Bengali – The Bobs – Best of Online Activism|access-date=22 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.amta.no/avistegnere/nyheter/drobak/drobak-tegner-arifur-rahman-karet-til-beste-aktivist-pa-nett/s/5-3-39468?ns_campaign=article&ns_mchannel=recommend_button&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=facebook&ns_fee=0|title=Drøbak-tegner Arifur Rahman kåret til beste aktivist på nett|date=4 May 2015|website=amta.no|language=no|access-date=22 May 2019}}

Toons promotes freedom of expression through cartoons, comics, caricatures and articles. It is published in English, Bengali, Arabic, Spanish and Hindi languages.

File:Freedom of cartooning.png

Since 2015, Toons has organized the International Cartoon Contest and Exhibitions to support children's rights, women's rights, freedom of expression, gender equality.

In 2015, Toons organized the International Cartoon Contest and Exhibition "Children in War" to focus on the suffering of children in war and conflict areas, such as in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq. It was a moving exhibition, which was exhibited in multiple places in Norway and Sweden. One hundred and twenty-eight cartoonists participated from 51 different countries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.icorn.org/article/children-war|title=Children in War|work=ICORN international cities of refuge network|access-date=10 July 2019}} On 10 September 2015, The exhibition was opened by Bishop Atle Sommerfeldt in Avistegnernes Hus, Drøbak. After the opening, was exhibited in Oslo, Nesodden, Bergen, Stavanger, Haugesund, Kristiansand and in Norrköping in Sweden. The event was supported by The Norwegian Cartoonist Gallery and Fritt Ord.{{Cite web|url=https://www.amta.no/barn/drobak/kultur/biskopen-apner-utstilling-i-drobak-om-barns-lidelser-i-krig/s/5-3-74422?ns_campaign=article&ns_mchannel=recommend_button&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=facebook&ns_fee=0|title=Biskopen åpner utstilling i Drøbak om barns lidelser i krig|date=8 September 2015|website=amta.no|language=no|access-date=10 July 2019|quote=Utstillingen er en av vandreutstillingene i regi av Avistegnernes Hus, og tilbys via nettet til institusjoner over hele verden. Den er også støttet av «Fritt Ord».}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.arbetetsmuseum.se/utstallning/barn-och-krig/|title=Barn och krig|language=sv-SE|access-date=10 July 2019}}

The cartoon competition was organized by Arifur Rahman and Toons Mag and received 1,625 drawings by 567 cartoonists from 79 different countries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.icorn.org/article/womens-rights-cartoons|title=Women's Rights in Cartoons|website=ICORN international cities of refuge network|access-date=22 May 2019}} A selection were represented in the Women's Rights exhibitions, which opened in Drøbak, Bangalore and Uttar Pradesh for International Women's Day, 8 March 2016. The drawings in the exhibitions deal with women's rights and limitations; the lack of education, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, violence, discrimination, legal protection and workload.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vg.no/i/L281R|title=Tema: Kvinners rettigheter: Moren ble barnebrud som 11-åring – nå tegner Arifur (31) for kvinners rettigheter|website=vg.no|language=no|access-date=22 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/opinion/sunday-read/The-feminist-half/articleshow/51170601.cms|title=The feminist half|last1=Madhukar|first1=Jayanthi|date=February 27, 2016|website=Bangalore Mirror |access-date=22 May 2019}}

On 10 December 2016, it was exhibited in the Brain Sneezing Gallery in the Prešov Wave Club, Slovakia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rtvs.sk/televizia/archiv/13982/112697|title=Správy RTVS|website=rtvs.sk|language=sk|access-date=10 July 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mzv.sk/web/oslo/spravy/-/asset_publisher/qUcjGk6Falrh/content/pozvanka-na-vystavu/10182|title=Pozvánka na výstavu – Správy – MZV MZV PORTAL|website=mzv.sk|access-date=10 July 2019}}

The event was supported by The Norwegian Cartoonist Gallery, Fritt Ord, Indian Institute of Cartoonist, Brain Sneezing Gallery, Prešov Wave club, EEA funds and the Slovak Republic.

12 cartoonist was won the award out of 567 cartoonists.

This exhibition was organized in collaboration with cartoonist Arifur Rahman from Bangladesh, who has himself been a victim of torture and imprisonment for his drawings. Five hundred and eighteen cartoonists participated from 83 countries, submitting 1,556 cartoons.

The exhibition opening was in three countries. Per Edgard Kokkvold, writer, and chairman of the Norwegian Broadcasting Council, former newspaper editor and secretary general of the Norwegian Press Association and leader of the Press Complaints Commission inaugurated the exhibition. Moddi Knutsen, Norwegian musician, inaugurated the exhibition and Roar Hagen, Norwegian political cartoonist, announced the award winner.{{Cite web|url=https://litteraturfestival.no/en/2016/12/frie-ytringer-freedom-of-expression/|title=Freedom of Expression|date=13 December 2016|website=Norsk Litteraturfestival|access-date=23 May 2019}}

In the Indian Institute of Cartoonists, Bangalore, India, Dr. Sathyabhama Badhreenath, director of the National Gallery of Modern Art inaugurated the exhibition.{{Cite web|url=https://epaper.newindianexpress.com/1203176/Indulge-Chennai/12-05-2017#dual/16/2|title=Express Publications Indulge – Chennai dated Fri, 12 May 17|website=The New Indian Express|access-date=23 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/cover-story/2017/may/12/toons-shall-overcome-fight-for-freedom-of-expression-1469.html|title=Toons shall overcome: The fight for freedom of expression|last=|first=|date=|website=The New Indian Express|access-date=23 May 2019}}

It was also exhibited in Kýchanie mozgu – Brain Sneezing gallery, Prešov, and Košice, Slovakia, as well as in the Slovak embassy in Oslo, Norway.

The event was supported by The Norwegian Cartoonist Gallery, Fritt Ord, Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer, Brain Sneezing Gallery, Prešov, and Indian Institute of Cartoonist. Later on, it was exhibited on Eidsvoll.{{Cite web|url=http://www.eub.no/nyheter/fra-fengsel-i-hjemlandet-til-utstilling-paa-verket|title=Fra fengsel i hjemlandet til utstilling på Verket|website=eub.no|language=nb-NO|access-date=23 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://mia.no/museumstjenesten/freedom-of-expression|title=Freedom of Expression – Museumstjenesten|website=mia.no|language=no|access-date=8 July 2019}}

12 cartoonist was won the award out of 518 cartoonists.

File:Cartoonist of The Year Award.png monogram]]

An annual award to appreciate and motivate cartoonists for their best cartoons.

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.toonsmag.com/ Official Website]

Category:Editorial cartooning

Category:Freedom of speech

Category:Magazines established in 2009

Category:Multilingual magazines

Category:Comics magazines published in Norway

Category:Online magazines