Handala Takes A Stand In Hamra

From approximately 1975 through 1987, Naji Al-Ali created cartoons that depict the complexities of the plight of Palestinian refugees, with Handala, the refugee child, as their centerpiece. “The child Handala is my signature,” Naji Al-Ali says. “I drew him as a child who is not beautiful; his hair is like the hair of a hedgehog who uses his thorns as a weapon. Handala is not a fat, happy, relaxed, or pampered child. He is barefooted like the refugee camp children, and he is an icon that protects me from making mistakes. Even though he is rough, he smells of amber. His hands are clasped behind his back as a sign of rejection at a time when solutions are presented to us the American way. At first he was a Palestinian child, but his consciousness developed to have a national then a global and human horizon. He is a simple yet tough child, and this is why people adopted him and felt that he represents their consciousness.”