ISIS Theft of "Gaza Cinderella"

To help fundraise for the War Toys® nonprofit organization, photographer Brian McCarty is offering an image of his that ISIS stole and turned into an online propaganda piece. The original photo "Gaza Cinderella" (left) was shot in 2012, using locally sourced toys in the Gaza Strip. It was inspired by an art-based interview with 10-year-old "Amara," showing her intense fear of missile strikes.

The theft and alteration (right) was discovered in 2015 by the image tracking service Pixsy. Their blog post about the unusual find soon led to worldwide press attention from dozens of outlets around the world including the Washington Post, BBC World Service, and El País.

Even now, Brian is still upset about theft. ISIS took a photo about a young girl's profound fear of airstrikes and turned it into something that promotes an organization that has committed countless atrocities. Taking it back and selling the image to support War Toys' mission of peace feels like a great ending to the story.