EGYPT: Comic book translates Martin Luther King's message

Martin Luther King Jr. has gone Arabic.

A 50-year-old comic book on the civil rights leader's strategy of nonviolence and tolerance is being published in the Arab world by the American Islamic Congress. The book, known as the Montgomery Story, was originally part of King's campaign to end racial discrimination and human rights abuses in America.

His message speaks to reformers in Arab countries today who have been battling political oppression, corruption, torture, jihadists and abuses against women, including genital circumcision. The hope is that King's tactics of nonviolence, which are outlined in the book, will inspire Arab versions of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington.

"Nonviolent activism is needed in the Middle East more than ever," said Dalia Ziada, director of AIC's office in Cairo. "Martin Luther King's legacy offers a powerful alternative to violence, and we hope this new Arabic comic book can inspire young Middle Easterners to take responsible action for reform."

Check it out at www.hamsaweb.org/comic

— Jeffrey Fleishman in Cairo 

Comments

[Moroccan]

Why doesn't Zainab Al-Suwaij, the head of AIC and a supporter of Bush's violent policy that killed over 1 million innocent civilians in Iraq, send copies of the comic book in English to the current ultra-violent US government and other previous one that have employed state violence to "protect its interests" around the world in the last 50 years?

We do not need to be lectured on the use of non-violence by the world largest exporter of weapons and means of killing and committing violence.

Thank you very much.