Palestinian Non-Violence Subject Of New Graphic Novel
Dalia Hatuqa reviews the book based on Julia Bacha’s award-winning documentary about the story of Budrus’ nonviolent protest against the wall.
Amid the Western media’s obsessive search for a Palestinian Gandhi, many stories of peaceful, non-violent resistance are often overlooked. One such story is that of Budrus, a small West Bank village — dotted with ancient olive trees and cacti — lying very close to the Green Line (the internationally-recognized border separating Israel from the West Bank). In 2003, Budrus’ residents found out that Israel’s separation wall would swallow chunks of their land. It was then that the villagers decided to employ non-violent tactics to protect their trees and land.
Budrus’ story was captured in an award-winning film directed by Julia Bacha in 2009. The story of the unarmed popular struggle is now being told in the form of a graphic novel (available here in Arabic) through the eyes of 15-year-old Iltizam, the daughter of Ayed Morar, who spearheaded the peaceful demonstrations.
