Ali Ferzat spent years drawing political cartoons...
Illustration
Ali Ferzat spent years drawing political cartoons that denounced the autocratic reign of Syria's leader President Bashar Assad. In the Fall of 2011, when the democratic movement began in earnest by the people, thousands of whom were killed by the military as they protested in the streets, Ferzat became even more ardent in his drawings.
One day masked men from the regime broke into Ferzat's home, beat him unmercifully, and broke all his fingers so he could not draw again.
The fingers healed, and Ferzat resumed his political cartoons. This time, though, the cartoons received worldwide attention as the violation of his human rights became public. That which was intended to silence him, only increased his audience.
With the beheading, it was thought that John the Baptist would be silenced. Instead, it was the watershed moment when Jesus began his public ministry in earnest and John's followers became even more outspoken.
One day masked men from the regime broke into Ferzat's home, beat him unmercifully, and broke all his fingers so he could not draw again.
The fingers healed, and Ferzat resumed his political cartoons. This time, though, the cartoons received worldwide attention as the violation of his human rights became public. That which was intended to silence him, only increased his audience.
With the beheading, it was thought that John the Baptist would be silenced. Instead, it was the watershed moment when Jesus began his public ministry in earnest and John's followers became even more outspoken.
