Martyr MouseA Palestinian TV program which has been criticized for using an obvious Mickey Mouse knock-off named Farfur to convey political messages to children has gotten rid of the character... though not in the way critics probably hoped.
They had him beaten to death by an "Israeli agent" after refusing to sell his land.
Well, there you go.
Here's the text of the piece for the time when BBC reuses the cyberspace:
Hamas 'Mickey Mouse' killed off
Palestinian girl watches Farfur on al-Aqsa television Farfur is making way for new programmes, al-Aqsa said A Palestinian TV station has killed off a controversial Mickey Mouse lookalike that critics said was spreading anti-US and anti-Israeli messages to children.
The Hamas-affiliated al-Aqsa channel aired the last episode on Friday, showing the character, Farfur, being beaten to death by an "Israeli agent".
"Farfur was martyred defending his land," said the show's presenter Saraa.
Israeli critics had said the show was outrageous and some Palestinian ministers tried to get it shelved.
In the final broadcast an actor said to be an Israeli agent tries to buy the land of the squeaky-voiced Mickey Mouse lookalike.
Farfur brands the Israeli a "terrorist" and is beaten to death.
He was killed "by the killers of children", Saraa says.
Al-Aqsa television told the Associated Press news agency the show, Tomorrow's Pioneers, was making way for new programmes.
'Indoctrination'
The channel had ignored demands from Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti for the show to be stopped.
Mr Barghouti said it "was wrong to use a programme directed at children to convey political messages".
In an earlier show, Farfur had said: "You and I are laying the foundation for a world led by Islamists.
"We will return the Islamic community to its former greatness, and liberate Jerusalem, God willing, liberate Iraq, God willing, and liberate all the countries of the Muslims invaded by the murderers."
The Israeli organisation, Palestinian Media Watch, said Farfur took "every opportunity to indoctrinate young viewers with teachings of Islamic supremacy".
Comments
"Mr Barghouti said it 'was wrong to use a programme directed at children to convey political message'." -- and yet there all sorts of various pro-consumerism messages in our children's shows. Politics bad, spending money like a drug-zonked bimbo with millions good. Except all of our TV shows are reflections of attitudes, and some of those are political as well.
In Palestine, where violence from all fronts is constant, and the kids know death very well, why not beat death a puppet moppet every other week? Why not point out that the John Deere company "weaponizes" tractors for the Israeli army to use as sledgehammer VS flea reprisals?
Are we to be shocked that a TV character is killed off in over the top propaganda bid to foster desires already present in an oppressed area? Well....gee... before we jump to condemn, what were the ratings like?
Grant