The Meaning Behind the Masthead

Permission to Narrate is the blog project of The Jerusalem Fund and its education program, the Palestine Center.

The name derives from an oft quoted saying by the late Palestinian scholar Edward Said who remarked that Palestinians had been denied permission to narrate their history and speak of the day-to-day experiences of life in the margins. Their voices are so often absent from popular media.

The blog seeks to educate the public by offering Palestinian perspectives on the news and events of the day.

Handala, the cartoon character who is writing our blog’s name on the blackboard, is the signature character of the famed Palestinian political cartoonist and critic Naji Al-Ali. Al-Ali was murdered in London in 1987 by unknown assailants.

Handala, typifying the Palestinian refugee, is always depicted by Al-Ali with his back turned as if walking away from his homeland. He is present in each of Al-Ali’s cartoons, a constant reminder of refugee experience and the hopes of the generation to come.

With this blog, we are permitted to narrate.


Please note that the views expressed in blog posts do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of the Jerusalem Fund.

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