Obama slams Muslim portrayal on cover of the New Yorker

Where's the Qur’an?: Barack and Michelle as fist-bumping terrorists on the cover of this week's New Yorker magazine (click to enlarge).The Obama campaign is condemning the “tasteless and offensive” illustration that appears on the cover of the New Yorker magazine this week which depicts U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in a turban, fist-bumping his gun-slinging wife, as the American flag burns in the fireplace.

“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," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement.

"But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

The issue, which goes on sale Monday, includes a long piece by Ryan Lizza about Obama’s start in Chicago politics.

Barry Blitt, the artist responsible for the cover, defended the piece by saying, "I think the idea that the Obamas are branded as unpatriotic in certain sectors is preposterous. It seemed to me that depicting the concept would show it as the fear-mongering ridiculousness that it is."

When asked if, in retrospect, is he glad he made the art, he responded, "the magazine just came out ten minutes ago, at least give me a few days to decide whether to regret it or not."

UPDATE #1: The Huffington Post has put up an interview with David Remnick, the editor of the New Yorker.

Many Obama supporters have started to voice their anger over the cartoon, which they say does not so much lampoon the smear as perpetuate it.

Normally I'd want the work to speak for itself — normally I'd not want to explain jokes, or short stories, or a piece of non-fiction that we publish — people always read things the way they're going to read them. In this case, since I see that it's stirred the pot somewhat, and some people have misinterpreted it very quickly, I'm talking to you. The image tries to be as clear a possible the title tries to make sure of that.

UPDATE #2: Syndicated cartoonist Matt Bors has criticized the coverage the publication of this cover has created, saying it's "the latest fake outrage since The Huffington Post has it as the top story with a red headline."

'You'd think Obama and his supporters would appreciate a sympathetic magazine like The New Yorker lampooning the right-wing caricature of him. But satire is too divisive for Obama."

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