Source of image: Handala.org
Design: Naji al-Ali [Palestine]
Embroidery: Jan Chalmers, UK
Supported by: Chalmers Children UK
Despite the suffering endured by Palestinians since the occupation of their homeland, steadfastness and hope for justice survive. These qualities are symbolised in the determined stance of ‘Handala’, a creation of the Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali. In Arabic, ‘handala’ means ‘medicinal bitter desert fruit’. According to Naji, “Handala was born aged ten – the age Naji was when he was expelled from his village, Al-Shajara, in 1948. Handala will remain that age and will become normal again only when the Palestinian homeland is restored. Naji was assassinated in 1987 in London.
Era: Sumud - Steadfastness (1948 onwards)
