Tom & Jerry responsible for violence across Arab world, says Egypt official

Cairo, May 5: Ambassador Salah Abdel Sadek, chief of Egypt's State Information Service has blamed popular cartoon characters Tom and Jerry, video games and 'violent' movies for the rising violence and extremism across the arab world.

Speaking at a conference titled 'The Media and the Culture of Violemce' at the Cairo University, Sadek said Tom and Jerry teach the viewer's mind that violence is natural.

"[Tom and Jerry] portrays the violence in a funny manner and sends the message that, yes, I can hit him...and I can blow him up with explosives. It becomes set in [the viewer's] mind that this is natural," said Ambassador Sadek.

He said after watching the video games for long hours, the young people then face the social pressure to resort to violence for they think it is normal.

Following Sadek's statement, privately-owned Youm7 published an article titled "Five Accusations Tom and Jerry Faces in Egypt", which said that cartoon teaches children about negative habits like drinking, smoking, and stealing.

The author of the article added that Tom and Jerry curb the idea of justice, help children come up with dangerous plans and encourage violence with the use of sharp instruments.

Oneindia News