Anti-war Christmas tree removed from charity auction

Other artists threatened to pull out of the auction.
TORONTO GLOBE AND MAIL
TORONTO -- A charity auction of artist-decorated Christmas trees stirred some unexpected controversy during the weekend after organizers rejected one tree that featured graphic photographs of Iraq war casualties.
The war-themed Christmas tree, festooned with poppies and images of civilian casualties, of injured American soldiers and of prisoners -- and surrounded by toy soldiers -- was created by Toronto artist Asma Mahmood. She had been invited to produce one of 12 trees that were to be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the United Way at Artists Walk, a co-op of galleries in Burlington.
Mahmood's tree, titled Merry Christmas from Mesopotamia: Lest We Forget, also featured 50 greeting cards with the verse "So this is Christmas" and 50 with the verse "And what have you done?"
She said she was careful to put what she called some of the "outright terrible" images in black and white. Nonetheless, her tree offended some people so much that two of the other artists threatened to withdraw from the auction unless Mahmood was excluded.
Decision
Organizer Sandy Turnzer said she decided to remove Mahmood's tree from the exhibition out of consideration for the United Way and gallery patrons, and because the artists had been asked to adorn the trees beautifully.
"It was definitely marketed as a family event, and really, how many people were going to bid on a tree with disturbing content and display it in their home?" Turnzer asked.
"I'm an artist myself. Had it not been for the charitable component for United Way, it would have been different," she said. "I'm sorry that [Mahmood] is upset."
The tree was taken out of the fundraiser, but was placed in an adjoining gallery for those who wanted to see it. Mahmood said she showed it to about 15 people Saturday.
Mahmood, who often expresses anti-war views through her work, said she is angry that her name and the tree were removed from the auction.
"I think in a way their attitude totally negates the spirit of Christmas," said the 43-year-old, who came to Canada from Pakistan eight years ago. "We can't close our eyes to the war around the world and say you know it's a happy time and we only want to see happy things."
Mahmood said she donated the 50 that had been provided for the artists to the United Way.