Deck of Shame, an independent artistic and political expression project, has launched the Deck of Shame: Gaza Genocide Edition, now available at DeckofShame.com and on Amazon.
Inspired by the “Most Wanted” playing cards created during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, the deck identifies and ranks 52 political leaders, government officials, public figures and others that bear significant responsibility for the genocide in Gaza.
“Deck of Shame began with anger and frustration,” said founder Paras Shah. “I was watching the death and destruction in Gaza unfold while hearing it described in language that was intentionally masking its inhumanity and protecting the responsible actors from accountability. I wanted to create something tangible, something that named powerful people, documented their actions and preserved a record of responsibility that would be difficult to look away from. Most people recognize how Donald Trump, Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir are culpable, but folks like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Ackman and Alex Karp get a pass. Their actions and words are also morally repugnant.”
Repurposing a Wartime Symbol
In 2003, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency developed the “Iraqi most Wanted” playing cards depicting high-value members of Saddam Hussein’s government to help U.S. troops identify them. More than two decades later, Deck of Shame repurposes that format as a statement about visibility, remembrance and accountability.
“This is about memory and accountability,” Shah said. “Decisions with enormous human consequences should not become anonymous as time passes. We want people to remember who held power, what they said, what they did and what happened while they were in a position to act.”
Remembering Hind Rajab
The reverse of every card features artwork inspired by a Dublin mural honoring Hind Rajab, the five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in January 2024.
Hind became known internationally through recordings of her calls with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, pleading for help while trapped in a vehicle after members of her family had been killed. Two paramedics were dispatched to rescue her. Hind, her relatives and the paramedics were later found dead - murdered by the IDF.
Her image serves as a reminder of the individual lives behind casualty figures, political arguments and headlines.
Deck of Shame allocates 20% of all profits to charitable and community giving, beginning with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) and its medical and humanitarian assistance for Palestinian children and families.
The Deck of Shame Grant Program supports student and community education and advocacy efforts. Recipients will be shared publicly as the giving program grows.
“We want to translate conviction into material support for people who need it and for people willing to do the difficult work of keeping these stories visible,” Shah said.
Made to Be Played
The Gaza Genocide Edition includes 55 playable cards printed on 300 GSM Blue Core Art Board, encased in a decorative cardboard box with a magnetic closure, designed to spark conversations during everyday games.
“Maybe someone stops during a game and asks about one of the faces. Maybe they turn over a card and ask who Hind Rajab was. Those conversations are part of the point,” Shah said.
The deck is available for $23.99, with free shipping in the United States and Canada, at DeckofShame.com and on Amazon
About Deck of Shame
Deck of Shame is an independent artistic and political expression project created to document culpability, provoke conversation and preserve memory. Its first release, the Gaza Genocide Edition, uses a playing-card format to identify 52 people that bear responsibility through their actions or words for the devastation in Gaza.
Deck of Shame allocates 20% of profits to charitable and community giving, including humanitarian assistance for Palestinian children and families and grants supporting student and community-based advocacy and educational initiatives.
Remember. Question. Give. Play. And don’t look away.
SOURCE: Ashby & Gabriel