UN is funding summer camps honoring terrorists
By Itamar Marcus, Palestinian Media Watch, July 25, 2003
Palestinian Media Watch has been reporting on the repeated Palestinian Authority [PA] naming
of children’s camps this summer after terrorists, including suicide terrorists, and it seems
from the mention of “UNICEF” in the PA papers that the UN is a significant supporter of these
camps.
The summer camps, are often named after specific terrorists or just the general term
“Shahid”, meaning “Died for Allah”, the term the PA uses to honor the terrorists, as well as
others who died in the conflict with Israel. A girl’s summer camp was named after Wafa Idris, a
woman suicide terrorist.
Beyond the act of naming the summer camps for terrorists, the camps include activities and
lectures designed to present the terrorists as role models and heroes for the children, such as
visits to their families, discussions about them and more.
The camps are under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Youth and
Sports and UNICEF is singled out and thanked in news articles for their financial support of
the camps.
The following are some articles mentioning UNICEF or describing the activities, from among many
other similar articles:
- “Yesterday the activities of the scouts’ Shahid [died for Allah] camp in Dir Al-Ballah were
officially unveiled … under the supervision of the scouts’ authority in the Youth and Sports
Department … and with the support of UNICEF. 140 scouts of both sexes took part in the camp
…”[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 22, 2003]
- In the Ibn-Al-Hitham elementary school in Nablus, activities at the “Shahids of Chattin”
summer camp drew to a close. This [camp] had been organized by the Youth and Sports
Department, in conjunction with the Chattin division scouts’ club, UNICEF and the national
committee for summer camps. In honor of this event a grand ceremony took place …Al-Issui gave a speech on behalf of the Minister of Youth and Sport in which he recalled
the Shahids for Palestine, after whom the camp was named. During the ceremony there were
artistic interludes presented by the Shahid Mahmad Al-Tzabar choir, along with the Shahid Abu
Jibran Group and the group [named after] the two Shahid brothers Kemal and Tissir Abu-Shahab
…”[Al-Quds, July 23, 2003]
- “Yesterday, activities ended in the camp named after the Shahida [Died for Allah] Wafa
Idris, for girls in the city of Kalkiliya. The camp was founded by the Scout general administration
in the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The camp was under the supervision of the Scouts in the
Kalkiliya Administration and about 100 girls from the organizing committee of the city’s Scouts
participated.…[At the closing ceremonies thanks were given including] to UNICEF for its support of
the camps.”[Al-Ayyam July 18, 2003]
[Note: Wafa Idris, was the first woman suicide terrorist.]
- “The Palestinian Union for Culture, Sciences and Development continues with the
activities of the fifth round of the summer camps (which) bears the title: “The Shahid
Al-Amarin.” [150 boys and girls aged 12 and 13 are taking part in this camp.]Yesterday the camp’s participants went to the home of the Shahid [died for Allah] Jihad
Al-Amarin, where (they were greeted by) the Shahid’s wife, children and family. During the visit
there were speeches praising the virtues of the Shahid Jihad Al-Amarin, who was assassinated a
year ago by the forces of the occupation.[note: Jihad Al-Amarin, the founder of the Al-Aksa Martyrs’ Brigade, was killed by Israel.]
The Shahid’s wife expressed her joy at our people’s loyalty to her husband, stating that
the Shahid Jihad followed a national mission. During the visit the Shahid’s wife was presented
with the camp’s shield.”[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 13, 2003]
