It was 5:00 p.m. on July 22, 1987 in London. Cartoonist Naji al-Ali was walking towards the offices of the Arabic newspaper al-Qabas when a shot rang out. He was struck once in the throat by a lone gunman, mortally wounding him. In a hospital five weeks later, he died on August 29. At that time, he was the most famous cartoonist in the Arabic-speaking world. Posthumously, al-Ali was awarded the Golden Pen of Freedom by the International Federation of Newspaper Publishers. The killer has never been found; some blame the PLO, others the Mossad. Neither group was a fan of al-Ali. The investigation was reopened in 2017, but it remains unsolved.
You might not know al-Ali’s name, but if you’ve attended a pro-Palestine demonstration, chances are you have seen his most famous creation: the spiky-haired, barefoot refugee called Handala, who appears often on posters and protest signs. Before Wayne State University’s pro-Palestine encampment was cleared by police, I saw him on at least one poster. He’s been a recurring figure at other demonstrations in Dearborn, Detroit, and Hamtramck. In reprinting A Child in Palestine: The Cartoons of Naji al-Ali, Verso Books introduces Handala and the story behind him to a new audience…..more
