Rabat – The British newspaper “The Economist” is embroiled in a major controversy after publishing illustrations that were deemed by many to be racist for associating traditional Saudi and Arab attire with fuse bombs, missiles, and other means of violence.
Published on July 28, the illustrations were incorporated in an article titled “MBS: despot in the desert.” The article tells the story of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, from his childhood to his rise to power.
The minimalistic illustrations embedded within the article reflect Saudi and Arab iconography but with implications of violence. The images were created by Israeli graphic designer Noma Bar.
The illustrations triggered widespread outrage among social media users, especially Arab and Saudi netizens, with many condemning the images’ attempt to push a xenophobic narrative of Arabs.
Describing the illustrations as “racist” and an “attack on Arab visual identity,” Ghada AlMuhanna, a Saudi researcher, tweeted: “Putting all our differences aside, whether they be religious or political, how is this depiction acceptable?”
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“It’s disturbing to think that there are people that have agreed on putting this on the cover,” AlMuhanna added, concluding: “Shame on every single one of you.”
Another Saudi Twitter user said: “The article is false, fictitious and contradictory. The article is clearly politically oriented…Very funny.”
Others pointed out that the symbols of the Arab attire used in the illustrations are not exclusive to bin Salmane, as they hold significance to most Arabs, particularly in the Gulf countries.
“There are thousands of Arabs who wear the head cover (hatta w a’gal), there are many ways to allude to an image of MBS [Mohammed bin Salman] without having a clear illustration of an Arab resembling a bomb,” said a Twitter user.
Despite the backlash, the British magazine did not issue any statement to address the situation, and the article with the controversial illustrations is still on the website.
