H/t to Boing Boing for this story about Syrian satirical cartoonist Ali Farzat, who was forced out of his car and beaten by masked thugs as a "warning" for his work, which has been critical of the Syrian government regime. From the Committee to Protect Journalists:

New York, August 25, 2011--Ali Ferzat, a famous Syrian cartoonist critical of the government, was abducted and severely beaten by masked gunmen as he left his office early on Thursday in Damascus, international media reported. The attackers stomped on his hands and said the beating was a warning, the Associated Press said. He was dumped bleeding on a roadside several hours later.

The Associated Press has more, including a partial profile of Ali Farzat's brave work criticizing the Syrian government and the Assad regime. We wish him a speedy recovery from this act of brutality. 

Walker Morrow is a Contributing Writer for The Propagandist