Palestinian Media Watch, August 20, 2002
Introduction:
PMW has repeatedly documented that the Palestinian Authority has been
pushing their children to see ‘Shahada’ (Death for Allah) – as something
expected of them. In a televised gathering on Sunday, Yasser Arafat himself
clearly encouraged young children to seek death, as he glorified a famous child
martyr.
In addition, he addressed the cheering and chanting auditorium full of children
as “colleagues, friends, brothers and sisters of Faris Ouda” – a 14 year old child
who died in the conflict, who has been turned into a heroic symbol by the PA.
One of those children, he said, would raise the Palestinian flag over
Jerusalem. The children responded to him by combining the Jerusalem and
martyr messages, by chanting: “Millions of martyrs marching to Jerusalem!”
The following is the main text of the exchange:
Arafat to children:
“Children of Palestine! The colleagues, friends, brothers and sisters of
Faris Ouda [14 year old who died in the conflict]. The colleagues of this hero
represent this immense and fundamental power that is within, and it shall be
victorious, with Allah’s will! One of you, a boy or a girl, shall raise the
flag over the walls of Jerusalem, its mosques and its churches…
Onward together to Jerusalem!”
Children respond, cheering and chanting:
“Millions of martyrs marching to Jerusalem!”
This is not the first time Arafat has expressed support for child martyrs. He has
previously made clear the importance he attaches to having dead Palestinian
children to show the world, saying the “greatest message to the world” was
child martyrs.
The following is from an interview on PA TV in January, 2002:
Hostess:
“Mr. President, what message would you like to send to the Palestinian
people in general and, particularly, to the Palestinian children?”
Arafat:
“The child who is grasping the stone, facing the tank; is it not the
greatest message to the world when that hero becomes a martyr ? We are proud of them.”
