The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a publicly funded national broadcaster of the United Kingdom, has chosen the Egyptian cartoonist Doaa Al-Adl, who works for Al-Masry Al-Youm news organization (publishers of Egypt Independent), among its 100 inspirational and influential women in 2016.
“One of the pioneers in a field that has long been dominated by men, she believes art can be the best medium to break taboos,” BBC said about Al-Adl.
“It was a surprise that made me so happy. The first thing I looked for in the list was if Egypt’s name was written beside mine or not,” Al-Adl said proudly.
Al-Adl explained that the power of drawing and the idea behind it are what make people follow it, regardless of who drew it, whether a man or woman. She added that she had published a drawing every day throughout the year 2016. The last drawing that attracted people was ‘The last opened door’, which tackled the illegal immigration crisis.
One of Doaa Al-Adl's cartoons depicting sexual harassment phenomenon in Egypt.
Al-Adl was born in Damietta and graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo. She recieved many international prizes, last of which was in 2014 from the Cartooning for Peace organization, founded by Plantu and currently headed by the honorary president Kofi Anan, former UN secretary general.
The Egyptian cartoonist has faced crackdown by the authorities, under the Muslim Brotherhood rule.
Former Prosecutor General Talaat Abdullah had referred her back then to prosecution, over blasphemy charges for one of her cartoons that slammed one of the MB's political manipulating tactics allegding that a "yes" vote on the constitution referendum is a gate to heaven entry.
Al-Adl is also well-known for her interest in issues related to the marginalized segmens of society and women.
Doaa al-Adl's cartoon depicts the illegal migrats sufferings.
Doaa al-Adl's cartoon criticizes the state's press censorship
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
