Handala Naji Al Ali

Cartoons often have the power, by drawing attention quickly and getting straight to the point, to uncover deceit and deliver uncomfortable, shocking messages.

In over twenty-five years since the early 60s, late Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali produced over 40,000 drawings and several books of cartoons raising awareness of the Palestinian plight at the hands of Israeli occupation and harshly criticizing Arab regimes and the imperialistic policies.

Naji al-Ali’s most famous character is Handala, a ten-year-old barefoot child, dressed in ragged clothes. The boy, always drawn from behind while watching all the bad that is happening on Earth, has over time become a symbol of resistance, giving voice to the poor and oppressed everywhere.

This year marks the 36th anniversary of the assassination of Handala’s creator Naji al-Ali as he was murdered outside Alqabas newspaper office in the UK in 1987.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naji_al-Ali