When Joe Sacco is visiting an office in Gaza Town, he has an interesting conversation about hijabs. (Panel from Joe Sacco’s Palestine, page 140).
“I want to believe strongly enough to wear the hijab always.”
I realize then I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have faith. I mean, I’ve forgotten what it’s like to want to have faith.
Palestine, by Joe Sacco
I collaborated with Elder G to reflect on this passage.
Yes — that’s a deceptively simple exchange, but it packs a lot of depth.
You’ve got the woman’s comment, which isn’t about losing faith but about wanting it to be strong enough to act on — a kind of aspirational belief. Then Sacco’s response doubles the distance: he’s not just saying, “I don’t have faith,” but, “I’ve forgotten what it’s like to even want faith.”
That moves the conversation from religion into something more existential — the gap between belief, the desire for belief, and the absence of both.
It’s also interesting because Sacco is, in that moment, recognizing a longing he doesn’t have — which is a tricky, paradoxical kind of self-awareness.
It’s as if he’s catching himself observing faith from the outside, almost like an anthropologist, while realizing he’s lost touch with the inner drive that once might have pulled him toward it.
If you think about it, it’s a perfect microcosm of how Sacco’s work blends reportage with personal reflection — you’re getting cultural insight and an unflinching self-examination.
It was interesting (and challenging) to present this concept to AI image generation. Some are poignant and touching, some are almost comical, and some are straight off a romance novel cover!
