At the age of 12 he started publishing drawings professionally on the front pages of al-Ayyam newspaper, shortly before it was banned by the ruling Baath Party.
Saat ia berusia 12 tahun, gambar profesional pertamanya muncul di halaman depan surat kabar al-Ayyam, tak lama sebelum surat kabar tersebut dicekal oleh Partai Baath.