3 summer 2011 - Prince Claus Fund

political advertising is the heroic figure who may be a celebrated leader ofthe struggle, living or martyred, or an anonymous representative citizen,such as a soldier, a worker, a mother, a war victim.’ 9Heroic imagery is standard fare in propaganda worldwide. During thecultural revolution of China, an estimated 2.2 billion portraits of ChairmanMao were printed. They were found in every home where they wereconferred a highly revered status; ‘Nothing could be placed above it, andits frame could not have a single blemish.’ 10 Another revolutionary icon,Che Guevara, has morphed into a stylish global symbol of resistance,protest and desire for change. Albert Korda’s ‘most reproduced image inthe history of photography’ continues to surface all over the world—as isseen on walls in Palestine, the packaging of ‘Cherry Guevara’ ice cream inAustralia, 11 and placards in protest rallies in Pakistan (Figure 41).23.The notion of the martyr has been noticeably projected by the PPP whichfrequently features images of party founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, hung in1979 by a military dictator. In a stunning historical twist, the PPP’s mostwell known face of Benazir Bhutto was transformed from a living icon to amartyred legend right in the middle of a campaign rally in December 2007.The heroic status of political leaders is consolidated in images thatcapture trademark body language. A popular hand gesture is the V-signdenoting victory i the clenched fist and other dramatic polemical devicesthat were used by the Left and were adapted later for Second WorldWar propaganda. 12 A crossroads in an MQM-dominated area in Karachiis popularly known as Mukka Chowk ii because of a large sculpture of aclenched fist, which was also the signature gesture of the first primeminister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan.Politicians in Pakistan also adopt attire which over time becomes theirtrademark. Headdress such as the turban, white veil, iii even a fez cap ivoften assumes significance by becoming a personalized ‘halo’.And then there are campaigns such as that of the MQM’s 2008 promotionalvideo Saathi (companion) in which party chief Altaf Hussain is depicted inan almost prophetic light but does not make an actual appearance. Duringthe six-minute clip, he is alluded to as a source of comfort in times oftrouble and grief by an approaching pair of feet in his signature shoes andhands with his well known rings. This technique was employed in motionpictures on the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who, according to Islamictradition, can never be shown as a human image. Instead the camera itselfstood in as the persona, a method copied by the MQM in its video.Figure 23. A ribbon rosette with a photograph ofBenazir Bhutto pinned on a coat.Figure 24. A banner with a painting of BenazirBhutto in the foreground and that of her fatherZulfikar Ali Bhutto partially seen in the shadows(outside Bilawal House, Karachi 2008).Figure 25. On the eve of the elections, childreninstall a PML-N flag from the top of anabandoned tower in Rawalpindi. Featured areimages of Nawaz Sharif and the party symbol,the tiger.For the election campaigns, a persistent element present in most posters isthat of religious iconography. This was more of a preoccupation of secularsaima zaidi234i. In a radio broadcast during the Second World War, Belgian lawyer Victor DeLavelaye proposed using the V hand sign for ‘victory’ in a propaganda campaignagainst the Nazis. Winston Churchill adopted the idea and it became his personalemblem. The sign mutated into a symbol of peace, when it was used by thoseprotesting US military involvement during the Vietnam War. 13ii. Mukka: clenched fist, chowk: intersection.iii. Benazir Bhutto.iv. Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan.Prince Claus Fund Reader #1 · Summer 2011 · 24