Washington DC – The Columbus Dispatch published a cartoon on Tuesday depicting Iran as a sewer on a map of the Middle East with cockroaches crawling out of it. By publishing this racist cartoon, the editors of the Dispatch have insulted and propagated hate against the Iranian American community.
NIAC Board member Dokhi Fassihian sent a letter to the Editors of the Dispatch protesting their action. She wrote: “The bigotry demonstrated by the publication of this cartoon not only betrays the mission to inform your readers, it endangers our country at an extremely sensitive time in our nation’s history by serving to further divide us at home and thrust us toward further conflict abroad.” See letter to the Columbus Dispatch.