This year's theme, "Be Human," is a title and slogan inspired by the suffering of the Palestinian people and the tenacity of the Gaza population in the face of occupation. Its third session is themed "Gaza is an unbreakable resilience." Human solidarity with the just Palestinian struggle is affirmed by this. It reinforces Al-Azhar Al-Sharif's prominent role in protecting the rights of the oppressed and defending their rightful rights and is consistent with his unwavering commitment to support the Palestinian cause in all local and international arenas.

The contest is founded on several goals, most notably: -

Using Al-Azhar's mission to defend just causes around the world, emphasizing the Palestinian cause as a political, religious, and humanitarian cause that needs ongoing support.
Emphasizing international solidarity and attempts to protect the Palestinian people's fundamental rights, as well as the suffering caused by the occupation and ongoing abuses.
Maintaining and advancing Palestinian culture and identity in the face of efforts to destroy and misrepresent it, while emphasizing the Palestinian people's spirit of defiance and tenacity.
High-end art can be used to effectively express people's suffering and fight occupation and injustice while advancing the ideals of justice and human dignity.
Using cartoons and portraits as international instruments to convey the suffering and aspirations of Palestinians and to foster cross-cultural understanding.
Raising international awareness of the Palestinian people's tenacity as a sign of will and challenge, as well as the cause of Jerusalem and Gaza.
International platforms that assist Palestinian artists in exhibiting their artistic creations that depict the hardships of the occupation and share tales of adversity and resiliency.
Using the artistic and technical skills of students and artists to create works that emphasize justice and humanity while reflecting the Palestinian cause.
Transmitting a message to the world that the arts can be a powerful tool for struggle, inspiring people to fight oppression and injustice and helping to bring attention to just concerns.

The competition general rules state that:

A maximum of two pieces may be submitted by each competitor in each section.
The work's size is not less than A3, but it is also not greater than 2 MB.
No other competitions have given prizes for the works.
Works sent via email after the application period has ended are not admissible.
The artist must be over eighteen years old.
Without previous consent, the organization is permitted to disseminate the artwork of participating artists in posters, magazines, newspapers, and websites both inside and outside of Egypt.
The reward amount in Egyptian pounds is given to the Egyptian winners.
The Organizational Committee may take all necessary steps to verify the accuracy of the work that has been presented.
The participant is morally and legally responsible if it is demonstrated that the work was created by artificial intelligence.
Remove the top three finishers from the previous year's competition from consideration for the same branch's award.
The best acceptable and participatory works are used to create a book.
Acts that are not subject to the competition's rules or that are plagiarized are not allowed by screening and arbitration panels.
Although you are eligible to compete in both competition areas, you can only be nominated to win in one of them.
Every artist whose work is accepted receives an electronic participation certificate.
The decisions made by the arbitral tribunal are final and cannot be contested.
To be considered for a prize, the artist must sign the piece and provide a file with pictures of the piece and its stages.
Winning candidates are emailed to provide proof of bank account information, such as bank name, address, account number, IBAN, and software code; if they do not respond and submit the information within 10 days, they are disqualified.
To be eligible to win, candidates from overseas must have a bank account, Ipan, and Soft Code. Refusal to respond and submit data within 10 days will result in exclusion.
The Al-Azhar media channels and internet platform will be used to announce the winners and host the 3rd Al-Azhar International Cartoon Forum.
By entering the competition, the artist acknowledges and agrees to the aforementioned terms.

Competition Terms:

The maximum number of participants is two works in each section of the competition.
The size of the work should not be less than A3 and should not exceed 2 MB.
An electronic certificate of participation will be sent to all artists whose works are accepted.
A compressed folder will be created with the name of the artist and the participating category, containing the following:
 

Works in (JPG - 300 dpi) and (pdf) formats. The artist's name, nationality, and country will be written on the submitted work.
A CV in a Word file that includes: name, address, national ID number or passport number, nationality, ways to contact him on phone and WhatsApp, a link to his works published on social media pages, a statement of the competitions he has previously participated in, and specifying the type of drawing, method and tools used to draw the picture.
A copy of ID on both sides for Egyptians, and a copy of the passport for foreigners.
The file must be sent to the email cartoon@azharonline.edu.eg before the deadline.

Competition Sections:

First: Cartoon Competition Section

The winners will receive the shield of "Al-Azhar Al-Sharif" together with a certificate of gratitude and appreciation from His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.
and the following monetary awards: $1000 will go to the first winner, $700 to the second, and $500 to the third.

Second: Portrait Competition Section

The winners will receive the shield of "Al-Azhar Al-Sharif" together with a certificate of gratitude and appreciation from His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.
and the following monetary awards: $1000 will go to the first winner, $700 to the second, and $500 to the third.

Third: Cartoon Portrait Competition Section

The winners will receive the shield of "Al-Azhar Al-Sharif" together with a certificate of gratitude and appreciation from His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.
and the following monetary awards: $1000 will go to the first winner, $700 to the second, and $500 to the third.

Fourth: Awards for international students at the end of the forum activities:

The winners will receive a certificate of gratitude and appreciation from the forum head. Ten incentive prizes, each worth a thousand pounds, are also included.
The portrait and caricature portrait include a drawing of one of the prominent figures in Palestinian history:

Important appointments:

Works will be received via email cartoon@azharonline.edu.eg before the deadline for submission,
from Wednesday 15/1/2025 to Saturday 15/2/2025
The winners will be announced via Al-Azhar electronic portal and media channels,
and the date of the "third Al-Azhar International Cartoon Forum" will be announced.