‘Anime’ stokes ire of Muslims (Japan Times)
CAIRO (Kyodo) A scene from an animated version of a popular Japanese comic book has sparked an outcry in the Muslim world, where some fear it could fuel a backlash not seen since European publications carried cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
Shueisha Inc., a Japanese publisher involved in the production of the “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” comic book and its animated versions, said Thursday it has suspended sales of some of the original “manga” and the DVD series.
A Shueisha press official said the material was not intended to be offensive and was the result of none of the animators knowing Arabic in 2001.
At issue is a 90-second “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” video segment that depicts Dio Brando, a villain, picking up a Quran from a bookshelf and apparently examining it as he orders the execution of the hero and his friends.
The animation is based on the widely popular manga by Hirohiko Araki that appeared in the weekly Shonen Jump from 1987 to 2003. The Japanese publisher said the Quran does not appear in the print version.
The scene in question is in episode six of the animated video “Stardust Crusaders,” which was produced by A.P.P.P (Another Push Pin Planning) Co. in 2001.
A pirated version of the cartoon series with Arabic subtitles has been available on the Internet since March 2007.
Someone posted negative comments and a still from the video, sparking a groundswell. Messages on the topic have appeared in more than 300 Arab and Islamic Web forums, with some accusing Japan of insulting the Quran.
Sheikh Abdul Hamid Attrash, chairman of the Fatwa (religious edict) Committee at Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni authority, based in Cairo, called the cartoon an insult to Islam.
“This scene depicts Muslims as terrorists, which is not true at all,” he said. “This is an insult to the religion, and the producers would be considered to be enemies of Islam.”
Responding to the accusation, the Shueisha official said it was “a simple mistake.”