A children’s program on official P.A. TV last month that commemorated the late cartoonist Naji Al-Ali showed a selection of his cartoons, several of which promoted violence to kids, Palestinian Media Watch reported on Tuesday.
The cartoonist was famous among Palestinians for having invented the cartoon characters “Handala,” a boy who symbolizes the Palestinian refugee, and “Fatima,” a Palestinian woman.
One of the cartoons showed Fatima handing Handala an AK-47 rifle, according to PMW, while another showed Fatima with roots growing out below her dress connecting her to the ground, handing out rocks to children. One of the children, a girl, can be seen throwing a rock at an Israeli/Jew with a large nose and a Star of David on his hat who is covering his head.
The girl narrator on the program explained that Fatima symbolizes the strong Palestinian women:
“Naji [Al-Ali] invented the character of Handala, who was in his drawings regularly and represents a 10-year-old boy who turns his back to the viewers. ... Naji had another character who returned again and again in his drawings as the figure of the Palestinian woman, whom Naji called Fatima. She is a character who is not humiliated. Her vision is very clear on everything regarding the cause and the way to resolve it.”
