Aasiya
by Rawand Issa
Courtesy of Rawand Issa.
Aasiya (Insubordinate) is the illustrated account of how a young Lebanese woman found herself facing charges of “fomenting unrest” and “destruction of property” in the state’s Military Court after her first time protesting in the widespread 2015 demonstrations in Beirut. Drawing on real characters, author/artist Rawand Issa portrays the important role of intergenerational mentorship in the activist scene. Facing severe charges in a court reserved for soldiers, the protagonist Sawsan finds strength and inspiration in her attorney, an experienced activist herself. While the Lebanese state continues to quash citizens’ legitimate self-expression, Aasiya provides a glimmer of the solidarity and inspiration that keeps the activist community fighting.
Rawand Issa was born in 1992. She worked as a writer/journalist for five years in Lebanon. In 2015 she decided to make a switch in her career, and jumped to illustration and comic making. She published three publications, Mish Men El Marikh/Not from Mars, 22 August, and Aasiya.