Dwarfs in the West Bank defy social stereotypes. When Muhsen Abu al-Sheikh goes for a walk in his hometown of Qalqilia in the West Bank, he is sometimes met by unnerving, curious glares from passers by. The 29-year-old is 128 cm tall. His extreme shortness is defined medically as Dwarfism, a genetic disorder in bone and cartilage development induced by a growth hormone deficiency and resulting in a height of 147cm or shorter. Normal average human height ranges from about 155-185 cm, depending on the country of origin. Abu al-Sheikh shrugs-off any feelings of self pity and says God created him as a special person. "When my mother was pregnant she used to play with a child like me, who was a dwarf. She would play and laugh with him, so God gave her me, another dwarf," he told Reuters Television. Known for his sense of humour and thirst for life, Abu al-Sheikh had to battle social stereotypes before reaching a state of comfort with his condition. "(People) would make fun of me, so I...