In recent days a design went viral on social media of a full Palestine map decorated with roses, done mostly in a dreamy pink color, and named only “Palestine” with Jerusalem at the center, the same place it has in every Palestinian’s heart.
Turkish artist Adige Batur said that his graphic came in response to Google which has removed Palestine from its maps and replaced it with Israel.
A large number of activists and artists around the world expressed their rejection of the Google move, sharing Batur’s design which, for them, was worth a thousand words.
When asked about what inspired him, Batur said, “I am very sorry that the Palestinian state has been ignored on Google Maps and I wanted to make a design to show my reaction.”
On why he opted to use roses in his design, he explained, “Many visuals about Palestine are filled with sadness. I wanted to change that. That’s why I used flowers in my design.”
The Turkish artist was surprised by the great attention his work received. “What makes me happy is that this design is the voice of millions of people”, he stressed.
Editors of the Palestinian Information Center’s Facebook page said Batur’s map achieved unprecedented reach, hitting over two million views.
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