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Female bomber's mother speaks out (30.1.02)
BBC News
The mother of the first female Palestinian suicide bomber has said she is proud of her daughter and hopes more women will follow her example.
Body parts found at the scene suggested that an attack on Sunday, which killed an 81-year-old Israeli man and left more than 100 injured, was the first of its kind by a woman.
But confirmation of the bomber's identity did not come until Wednesday, when relatives identified her as Wafa Idris, a 28-year-old divorced paramedic.
"She was happy when martyrdom attacks were carried out against the Israelis and told me she wished she would one day carry out such an attack". Manal Shaheen, Relative of Wafa Idris. |
Wafa's tearful mother, Wasfiyeh, described her only daughter as a martyr, as she was consoled by relatives at their home in Amari Refugee Camp near Ramallah.
She told the BBC she did not know what turned her daughter into a bomber.
'Daughter of Palestine'
"Maybe it was because of all the wounded people she saw in the ambulances. She wanted to help her people. She was a daughter of Palestine," she said.
Mrs Idris said Wafa was not a known activist with any Palestinian militant group, although her three brothers are Fatah members.
She said she had suspected nothing when her daughter, who had been shot several times by Israeli rubber bullets during her work for the Red Crescent, rushed from home on Sunday morning saying she would be late for work.
"When I heard in the media that a woman may have been behind the bombing in Jerusalem and she didn't show up, I believed this could be the only explanation for her absence," Wasfiyeh told the Reuters news agency.
Ms Idris's sister-in-law said Wafa, whose father died when she was a child, had become withdrawn and morose in the weeks preceding the attack.
Angered
The paramedic was angered by seeing children shot and killed during confrontations in Ramallah, she said.
"She was happy when martyrdom attacks were carried out against the Israelis and told me she wished she would one day carry out such an attack," another relative, Manal Shaheen, said.
It is still not clear, however, whether Ms Idris blew herself up intentionally, or whether explosives she was carrying detonated accidentally.
The BBC's Orla Guerin in Ramallah says that Wafa Idris is already a heroine on the streets of the refugee camp where she lived.
One woman from the Amari camp, a pregnant mother of three, told the BBC she would carry out a similar operation if she was given the opportunity.
Wafa Idris's notoriety is also spreading rapidly: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has called for a memorial in her honour to be built in one of Baghdad's main squares, according to reports in Iraqi newspapers on Wednesday.
Wafa Idris on the Palestinian TV (23.5.02)
Introduction:
Studying a nation's heroes offers insight into its nature, and it is therefore notable to observe how the Palestinian Authority (PA) transforms those who kill the Jews into its new heroes. Since the day Wafaa Idris, the first woman suicide terrorist, blew herself up on Jaffa Road in Jerusalem, the PA has been promoting her as the new heroine and legend for Palestinians to admire. This week, while the world is talking hopefully about a new Arafat and the democratization of the PA, a new song glorifying the terrorist Idris has been broadcast at least twice on official PA TV. At a concert hall, with a full orchestra and a large choir, a beautifully dressed soloist sang to the new Palestinian heroine.
The following are some of the lyrics:
Vocalist:
"My sister Wafaa, my sister Wafaa,
Oh, the heartbeat of pride.
Oh, blossom who was on the earth,
and is now in heaven,
My sister, Wafa." (x 2)
"My voice will sing out (x 4)
`Allah Akbar' oh, Palestine of the Arabs (x 2)
Choir:
`Allah Akbar' oh, Palestine of the Arabs (x 2)
`Allah Akbar' oh Wafaa (x 2)
Vocalist
But you chose Martyrdom
In death you have brought life to our will
But you chose Martyrdom
In death you have brought life to our will
... and we say `Long Live the Intifada'
Choir:
`Allah Akbar' oh, Palestine of the Arabs (x 2)
Arafat's Open Glorification of Suicide Bombers (7.2.02)
By Itamar Marcus and Ruthie Blum, Palestinian Media Watch
Introduction:
The discrepancy between Yasser Arafat's conciliatory message to the world in English and his support of terrorism among Palestinians was again visible this week.
In a widely publicized New York Times op-ed ["The Palestinian Vision of Peace, Feb. 3, 2002], Arafat condemned "the attacks carried out by terrorist groups against Israeli civilians." Yet, a mere three days before, Arafat's Fatah organization led a demonstration for young Palestinian girls to glorify the woman suicide bomber who blew herself up in Jerusalem last week.
The following photo, documenting this glorification, shows elementary school girls carrying posters of the suicide bomber:
The text on the posters reads: "The Fatah Movement ... proudly eulogize their heroine Martyr, from the Alamari refugee camp, the martyr Wafa Idris."
Wafa Idris: The Celebration of the First Female Palestinian Suicide Bomber - Part III
MEMRI, Inquiry and Analysis - Jihad and Terrorism Studies, February 14, 2002
Wafa Idris: Representing Palestinian Womanhood
At the symbolic funeral for Idris held by Fatah, a
Revolutionary Council member eulogized her. She said,
"Wafa's martyrdom restored honor to the national role of
the Palestinian woman, who sketched the most wonderful
pictures of heroism in the long battle for national
liberation. Wafa came today to complete the path of the
martyr Dalal Al-Maghribi and her comrades..."(1)
While the Iraqi media hastened to report that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had ordered a memorial erected in Baghdad to honor Idris, Egyptian television producer Dr. Amira Abu-Fatuh saw Idris memorialized in another way. In her article "An Oscar-Winning Film," which appeared in the Egyptian opposition daily Al-Wafd, she wrote: "This is not a film like all other films. The heroine... is the beautiful, pure Palestinian woman, Wafa Idris, full of faith and willpower. I could find no one better than she, and I could find no film more wonderful than this, that shocked Israel's heart... From Paradise where she is now, she shouts with all her strength: Enough glorification of the dead; enough glorification of the victories of your forefathers. They have played their part, and now it is your turn."(2)
In general, the Arab media were excessive in their praise for the "courageous Palestinian girl." An editorial in the London Arabic-language daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi was the first to acclaim her, even before her identity became known: "This is the first time a young woman strapped a belt of explosives and bits of metal around her waist and blew herself up on Jaffa Road in the heart of the occupied city. Thus, she joins the convoys of the martyrs and sets a precedent [for women] to take pride in the history of the Arab and Islamic woman..."(3)
Al-Wafd columnist Sa'id Sadeq wrote: "Suddenly, out of the darkness, came a spark of light and hope, in the person of a Palestinian girl, courageous in deeds, not words..."(4) Salah Muntasir wrote in the leading Egyptian government daily Al-Ahram: "Wafa Idris has not faded from my [mind] since I saw her picture for the first time... Her dreamy eyes and the mysterious smile on her lips, that competes with the famous smile some artist drew on the lips of Mona Lisa - Wafa's smile is more beautiful. All of her is more beautiful than any picture of a woman painted by any artist..."(5)
Jordanian Islamist, Yasser Za'atrah, wrote in the Jordanian daily Al-Dustour: "...Wafa carried her suitcase [of explosives], which is... the most beautiful prize any woman can possibly win. Her spirit was raging, her heart filled with anger and her mind unconvinced by the calls for peace and coexistence... Peace be upon Wafa and the martyrs, men and women, before and after her..."(6)
Also in Al-Wafd, Muhammad Al-Amin depicted his perception of Idris as she made the decision to carry out the attack. He wrote: "She did not spare her soul... she quietly made her decision, sought explosives, went to pray, and then chose her target carefully. She went to a big restaurant with dozens of customers. She asked Allah for a martyr's death and victory. She did not forget to cast a goodbye glance at her family and neighbors. She kissed the soil of the homeland and went calmly to her fate. She inscribed her name on the forehead of history..."
Ibrahim Nafi', editor-in-chief of the leading Egyptian government daily Al-Ahram, wrote in a paean to Idris: "She decided to end her fresh young life at a moment of a profound sense of oppression such as no people had suffered as the Palestinians do. But before that, she decided that her death would reverberate so as to draw attention to the tragedy created by the Israelis, with their airplanes and tanks against a defenseless people. She blew herself up on Haifa Road [sic], bustling with innocent people - like Wafa herself... She left on a morning like every other morning. No one noticed signs of tension. She smiled at the children in the family, and continued on the path set for her to blow herself up on Haifa Street. so as to tell the world that the body itself would turn into a time bomb at any moment and that the idea that one organization was a terrorist organization and another was a peaceful organization had no meaning. The inhuman Israeli policy has made the entire [Palestinian] people into human bombs..."(7)
Also in Al-Wafd, Wagdi Zein Al-Din stressed Idris's uniqueness among women: "The most beautiful of the Palestinian beauties, a wonderful model of sacrifice, did what the strong, proud men do. Wafa Idris, who had just finished university, did not think like other members of her sex; she donned the garments of the martyrs and carried out an operation that was a response to the blood-shedder Sharon. Like her name ['loyalty' in Arabic], in her sacrifice she was loyal to the Palestinian nation. The bride of Heaven preferred death to the pleasures of life, so as to convey a powerful message to the Arab nation..."(8)
Abd Al-Wahab 'Adas, columnist for the government daily Al-Gumhuriya, wrote: "She gave, for the first time, a different example of women's heroism; she refreshed in our minds the [picture] of the Algerian heroine Jamila Boukhreid, who struggled with all her might against France's occupation of her homeland. Although Jamila was privileged to see the liberation of her land, Wafa's pure spirit will join in waving the flag of Palestine above the dome of Al-Aqsa. Wafa Idris engraved her name with pride, with strength, and with honor... on the conscience of every Muslim Arab."(9)
Al-Ahram columnist, Ahmad Bahgat, wrote: "Wafa revealed the meaning of the Palestinian personality; she revealed the heroism of the Palestinian woman and turned from a living creature walking on the Earth to a symbol that went down in history, the trace of which cannot be eradicated. As a nurse, her work was like that of the merciful angels. She cared for the sick and injured, and rescued the wounded. And behold, she expanded the sphere of her work from saving individuals to saving the Palestinian nation."(10)
'Adel Hammuda, editor of the Egyptian opposition weekly Saut Al-Umma, wrote: "The most beautiful and proud picture I saw this week is the picture of the bride of Heaven, Wafa Idris, who turned herself into an explosive device and exploded in Israel. Wafa Idris elevated the value of the Arab woman and, in one moment, and with enviable courage, put an end to the unending debate about equality between men and women."(11)
In the Egyptian Nasserite weekly Al-Arabi, Ahmad Abu Al-Ma'ati, wrote, "Wafa Idris did not sit in the coffee shops of rage to which our intellectuals are addicted, becoming procurers, and the writers who sell themselves for a shekel or a dollar. She did not go out to demonstrations... She did not sign petitions aimed at the international community. All she did was don a belt of explosives and talk to Israel, America, and the world in the only language they understand."(12)
And, in an article in the Egyptian opposition weekly Al-Usbu', Nagwa Tantawi compared Idris favorably with President George W. Bush's daughters: "Bush, who leads an oppressive campaign to educate the world, cannot even educate his own daughters!! Note the difference between Wafa, the daughter of Arabism and Islam, and Bush's daughters. The difference is the same as the difference between our culture, based on beautiful and noble values and on the values of homeland and martyrdom, and the materialistic [Western] culture. This proves that whatever developments may be, victory will be ours - because we have culture and values."(13)
Endnotes:
(1) Al-Ayyam (Palestinian Authority), February 1, 2002.
(2) Al-Wafd (Egypt), February 7, 2002, as cited in Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), February 8, 2002.
(3) Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), January 28, 2002.
(4) Al-Wafd (Egypt), February 3, 2002, as cited in Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), February 4, 2002.
(5) Al-Ahram (Egypt), February 10, 2002.
(6) Al-Dustour (Jordan), February 24, 2002.
(7) Al-Ahram (Egypt), February 5, 2002.
(8) Al-Wafd (Egypt), February 1, 2002, as cited in Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), February 2, 2002.
(9) Al-Gumhuriya (Egypt), January 31, 2002, as cited in Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), 2.2.2002.
(10) Al-Ahram (Egypt), February 3, 2002.
(11) Saut Al-Umma (Egypt), February 3, 2002, as cited in Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), 4.2.2002.
(12) Al-Arabi (Egypt), February 3, 2002, as cited in Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), February 4, 2002.
(13) Al-Wafd (Egypt), February 3, 2002, as cited in Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), February 4, 2002.
Wafa Idris: The Celebration of the First Female Palestinian Suicide Bomber - Part II
MEMRI, Inquiry and Analysis - Jihad and Terrorism Studies, February 13, 2002
Female Suicide Bombers are the True Feminists
In an editorial titled, "It's a Woman!" the Egyptian Islamist weekly Al-Sha'ab wrote: "It's a woman!! A woman, oh men of the [Islamic] nation; a woman, oh youth of the nation; a woman, oh women of the nation; a woman, oh those who call for the liberation of the nation's women; a woman, oh soldiers of the nation; a woman, oh rulers, princes, and leaders of this nation; it is a woman, a woman, a woman."
"It is a woman who teaches you today a lesson in heroism, who teaches you the meaning of Jihad, and the way to die a martyr's death. It is a woman who has inscribed, in letters of fire, the battle of martyrdom that horrified the heart of the enemy's entity. It is a woman who has shocked the enemy, with her thin, meager, and weak body... It is a woman who blew herself up, and with her exploded all the myths about women's weakness, submissiveness, and enslavement."
"It is a woman who today teaches you, oh Muslim women, the meaning of true liberation, with which the women's rights activists have tempted you... It is a woman who has now proven that the meaning of [women's] liberation is the liberation of the body from the trials and tribulations of this world... and the acceptance of death with a powerful, courageous embrace..."
"It is a woman, a woman, a woman who is a source of pride for the women of this nation and a source of honor that shames the submissive men with a shame that cannot be washed away except by blood... It is a woman in the spring of her youth who swore in the name of her God, with every drop of her blood, with every limb of her body, and with every one of her cells that turned into coals that burned the hearts of the enemy with the fire of fear, loss, and pain..."(1)
In the Jordanian daily Al-Dustour, Hussein Al-'Ammoush commented, "...There is no need to bring examples of the status of the Arab and Muslim woman. The Arab woman has taken her place and her dignity. It is the women's rights activists in the West who robbed women of their right to be human, and viewed them as bodies without souls... Wafa Idris, like the rest of the young women of her generation, never dreamed of owning a BMW or of having a cellular phone... Wafa did not carry makeup in her suitcase, but enough explosives to fill the enemies with horror..."
"Wasn't it the West that kept demanding that the Eastern woman become equal to the man? Well, this is how we understand equality - this is how the martyr Wafa understood equality... Oh Wafa Idris, mercy upon you and shame upon us."(2)
Sociologist Dr. Ahmad Al-Magdoub wrote, in Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood mouthpiece Afaq Arabiya: "The West has already understood that all the money it expends to disrupt the consciousness of the Muslim woman and make her think that her body and her needs are most important... is wasted money. The women recruited by the West... are incapable of influencing the women in any Arab country... All their words on women's liberation, equality with men, and their right to be prostitutes, to strip, to reveal their charms, and claims of this kind raised at their symposiums funded by America and the West will fall on deaf ears, except for a small group of unimportant and superficial women who have lost all hope..."
"It is true that these [superficial] women have served the West by giving their [Arab] countries drug-addicted young men and women... [who] have perverse [i.e. homosexual] relations, commit rape, theft, and murder... But they are still a minority, even if they make a lot of noise. The majority of young Muslims are still in good shape. It is true that they are silent, but we have seen how the silence of Wafa Idris ended."(3)
Dr. Samiya Sa'ad Al-Din wrote in her column in the Egyptian government daily Al-Akhbar: "I examined the end of the Palestinian woman martyr whose martyrdom engraved the signs of horror on the face of the Zionist enemy... At first, these were the dreams of a little girl, as she held her doll and whispered in its ear her childhood dreams. Then came adolescence, and rosy dreams of being able to fly in the skies of hope. But suddenly the path changed, and the dream within her changed as well. Her dreams became dreams of the homeland..."
"...Palestinian women have torn the gender classification out of their birth certificates, declaring that sacrifice for the Palestinian homeland would not be for men alone; on the contrary, all Palestinian women will write the history of the liberation with their blood, and will become time bombs in the face of the Israeli enemy. They will not settle for being mothers of martyrs..."(4)
Ahmad Taha Al-Naqr, a columnist for the Egyptian government daily Al-Akhbar, declared the week of Idris's attack to be "The Week of the Woman in the Arab-Israeli Conflict." According to Al-Naqr, while Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lind was criticizing the U.S. administration's attitude towards Arafat, Idris was carrying out her attack in Jerusalem. He wrote: "...It is strange that everyone knows the truth about the American position but do not dare to warn [the Americans] of its risks... except for Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lind, who spoke while the men were silent... [and] exploded when she expressed her concern about America's comparing Arafat to a terrorist... A brave woman said this when the men showed fear to do so. Yes, one woman [Lind] spoke, and another woman [Idris] acted!"(5)
From Joan of Arc to Jesus Christ
While Al-Ahram columnist Zakariya Nil called her "the Palestinian Joan of Arc,"6 Abd Al-Halim Qandil, acting editor of the Nasserities' weekly Al-Arabi, hinted broadly that Idris was something much greater: "A nation that has in it [a woman like] Wafa Idris will never be defeated, will never be humiliated... Wafa Idris looks beautiful in the archive photos, but she became the most beautiful of the women in this world and in the world to come the day she rose to Heaven. What is more beautiful than someone who chooses his fate? What is more beautiful than someone who turns the event of his death into the day of his return to life? What is more beautiful than this death that instills life? What is more beautiful than the transformation of a person from a chunk of flesh and blood to illuminating purity and a spirit that cuts across generations? How beautiful you were, oh Wafa Idris, the day you returned to life, with your noble and voluntary death in the bosom of Jerusalem. How beautiful you were, oh Wafa Idris, on the day of your martyrdom. How beautiful you were when you freed us from our sins. How beautiful you were when you elevated the humiliated nation to Paradise."(7)
Dr. 'Adel Sadeq, head of the Department of Psychiatry at Cairo's 'Ein Shams University, compared her openly to Jesus Christ: "Perhaps you were born in the same city; perhaps even in the same neighborhood and in the same house. Perhaps you ate from the same date palm and drank from the same pure water flowing through the veins of the holy city... If it was the Holy Spirit that placed a child in Mary's womb, perhaps that same holy spirit placed the bomb in the heart of Wafa, and enveloped her pure body with dynamite. From Mary's womb issued a child who eliminated oppression, while the body of Wafa became shrapnel that eliminated despair and aroused hope. It is not surprising that the enemy in both cases was the same [i.e. the Jews]..." (8)
Endontes:
(1) Al-Sha'ab (Egypt), February 1, 2002.
(2) Al-Dustour (Jordan), February 5, 2002.
(3) Afaq Arabiya (Egypt), February 7, 2002, as cited in Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), February 8, 2002.
(4) Al-Akhbar (Egypt), February 1, 2002.
(5) Al-Akhbar (Egypt), February 1, 2002.
(6) Al-Ahram (Egypt), February 2, 2002.
(7) Al-Arabi (Egypt), February 3, 2002, as cited in Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), February 4, 2002.
(8) Hadith Al-Medina (Egypt), February 5, 2002, as cited in Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), 6.2.2002.
Encouraging Woman Terrorists (12.3.02)
Special report #39 - Studies on Palestinian Culture and Society (Study #6 - March 12, 2002) by Itamar Marcus, Director Palestinian Media Watch
Introduction
There is a growing movement in recent weeks, directed by the Palestinian Authority (PA), to advance the ethos of the Palestinian Woman Fighter, including, the glorification of woman terrorists and suicide bombers as symbols to be admired and imitated. The PA is now transmitting very clear messages to its female population, that they should see themselves as full and active partners fighting alongside Palestinian men in their attacks against Israelis.
"Partners in All of Life's Demands, Including Militaristic Ones"
An article appearing this week in the PA daily implores women to see their role as equal to men's including the following statement by an unidentified woman:
"Her only wish is to carry out guerilla actions, so that her actions too would be added to other heroic acts done by women. She sighed, and wondered why women were not being drafted to the fight. Are women not man's partner? Are women not expected to be full partners in all of life's demands including military ones..?!" [Al Hayat Al Jadida, March 11, 2002]
This article also praises the two "heroines", who have acted as suicide bombers in recent months:
"Recently, the heroine Wafa Idris [the suicide bomber on Jaffa Road in Jerusalem] succeeded in carrying out the bombing in Jerusalem, and subsequently, the Martyr Da'arin Abu Asiyah [suicide bombing at a roadblock]. These actions... attest to the Palestinian woman's capability to perform successful actions..."
The Palestinian Television [PATV] as well has recently praised the female suicide bombers. A rerun of an old clip was rebroadcast which stars a female singer. While she sings, pictures of extreme violence appear in the background. Suddenly, she is not merely a singer, but rather a warrior wearing an army uniform; she continues singing and encouraging violence, singing of her desire to fall as a Martyr:
Shake the earth,
Raise the stones
Allah Aqbar, Oh, the young ones.
You will not be saved, Oh Zionist,
From the volcano of my land's stones,
You will not be saved, Oh Zionist,
From the volcano of my land's stones,
You are the target of my eyes,
I will even willingly fall as a shahid,
Allah Aqbar, Oh, the young ones.
[PATV March 10, 2002]
The Palestinian media publicized opinion polls taken recently, showing that "the desire to seek revenge is greater among women than men. For example, 96% of female university students expressed support for suicide attacks, according to one of the surveys conducted." [Al-Ayyam,"The Eighth Day" Supplement, February 7, 2002].
Wafa Idris Creating a New Symbol and Ethos
The growing propensity to encourage women to adopt the role of fighters was sparked by the suicide bombing in Jerusalem, as the bomber, Wafa Idris, is presented by both men and women in the Palestinian Authority as an ideal role-model, worthy of imitation.
"...Raviha Diyav, member of the administrative staff of the Palestinian Women Union emphasized that the participation of Idris in the attack shows the determination and the resolve of the Palestinian woman to participate as full partners in the national struggle, alongside her brothers." [Al-Ayyam, February 1, 2002].
"...Attaf Yussuf, a columnist in the media supplement "The Women's Voice", claims that "Palestinian women desire to participate alongside the men in all aspects of the struggle." [Al-Quds, March 1, 2002)].
Men in the Palestinian Authority, too, glorify her:".She represents the major role of the Palestinian woman in the national struggle.Zaad Abu Ayin, a member of the high-ranking Movement Committee of Fatah, delivered a speech in which he praised the heroism of Idris, as a member of the Shahid Brigades of Al-Aqza, belonging to the Fatah Movement." [Al-Ayyam, February 1, 2002].
In addition, a framework for terrorist activity has been created in her name:"Senior officials in the Fatah Movement have said that the Shahid Brigades of Al-Aqza." has recently created a woman's brigade, in order for women to take an active part in the war being fought in the Palestinian areas. The purpose of this brigade is to carry out attacks on the Israeli home front. The troop has been named "the brigade in honor of the Martyr Wafa Idris". [Al-Quds, March 1, 2002].
There are signs signifying that the Palestinian Authority intends to turn Idris into a new symbol for young Palestinian girls. Immediately following the suicide bombing, the Palestinian Authority held a memorial demonstration in her honor. A photograph of this demonstration appeared in the Palestinian press, in which posters bearing her picture with the Al-Aqza Mosque in the background are shown, together the following caption: "The Fatah Movement... eulogize with great pride the heroic Martyr, of the Al-Amari Refugee Camp, the Martyr Wafa Idris". [Al-Ayyam, February 1, 2002].
Ethos of the Palestinian Woman Fighter Dalal El Mughrabi and Others
One of the heroines of the Palestinian Authority has always been Dalal El Mughrabi, the female terrorist who participated in the kidnapping and murder in 1978 of Israeli bus passengers returning home from an outing. Despite the fact that this terrorist attack transpired many years ago, and although the event resulted in the killing of the male terrorists as well, the Palestinian Authority notes its anniversary, glorifying the personality and heroism of the woman participant - Mughrabi. In August 2000, for example, she was described in a cultural program in these words: "Dalal is a symbol of Palestine.in this presentation we portray for the audience the role of warrior of the Palestinian woman, she who struggles.she who is building the Palestinian society.we remain faithful to Dalal, she who is part of the Palestinian consciousness.". Immediately following this portrayal, an excerpt from a film wasbroadcast, in which Palestinian actors portray Israelis with skullcaps threatening a Palestinian at gunpoint, while interrogating them in the cemetery where Dalal El Mughrabi is buried. Mughrabi then appears above her gravesite, as a woman much alive and talking. [PATV, August 31, 2000]
Her name even appears in crossword puzzles in the PA daily newspapers, e.g. "Famous Palestinian Martyr" "Dalal El Mughrabi". [Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 23, 2000]
The article appearing this week in the Palestinian Authority press made another connection with Dalal El Mughrabi, including a revolting libel attributing to Ehud Barak abuse of Mughrabi's body, because of the Israelis' "shock and fear" of the Palestinian warrior:
"Most of the stories of the woman Matyrs. are still connected to the death of the Martyr Dalal El Mughrabi. who, with her small group, succeeded in causing the greatest number of casualties amongst the Israelis. The head of the Israeli government and the Israeli security services went mad, as can be seen by the actions of the then Chief of Staff of the Israeli military, Ehud Barak, who stuck the bayonet of his rifle into the Martyr El Mughrabi's body, as well as performing other atrocities on intimate parts of her body a testimony to both the level of their fear of the Palestinians and their fury even after the Martyrs had fallen. Despite the passing of so many years since the falling of the Martyr El Mughrabi, we feel as if her heroism was at work in yesterday's event.even if a Martyr is absent from her body, the spirit of her struggle continues to live within the consciousness of women aspiring to perform similar acts of heroism, and especially in times when the Sharon government escalates its acts of aggression and oppression against our people."
In another women's supplement in the Palestinian Authority press other woman terrorists are glorified:
"Women have been involved with the Palestinian national struggle since its very onset.Wafa is the first woman to make such a sacrifice, yet she is not the first to participate in this struggle. In the first military actions, subsequent to the occupation in 1967, women were participants. We all recall such names as Fatima Barnaai, Rasima Uda, Mariam El-Shachshir, Aisha Uda, etc.these names, creating fear and horror in their hearts [of the Israelis].
33 years ago today, on February 21, 1969, two girls prepared for a mission, travelling to the Supermarket, and wandered around with packaged explosives. Rashida placed the explosives she had, and then Asiyah, too, left the explosives she had been carrying in her bag, and as they exited they heard the explosion, resulting in the death of two and wounding eight others.
The second package was meant to explode later, but a police officer found the package before it went off. Several days later, an explosion occurred in the cafeteria of the Hebrew University. This attack resulted in twenty-eight wounded. This action was perpetrated by Mariam El-Shachshir from Nablus. ["The Women's Voice, Al-Ayyam, February 28, 2002]
The Present Fighting
During the fighting of the last year and a half, although the women did not assume an active role in the fighting until recently, the Palestinian Authority still attempted to encourage and praise any connection between the women and the war. One example is an article featured over a year ago in the Palestinian Authority's press, describing the "good girl" as one who wants an m-16 for her wedding:
"[Headline] He who marries a good girl will not be asked for a high bride-price - a girl marries a warrior, and asks for a rifle in place of a dowry. the bride-price Jasmeen requests is a modest but strange one, a M-16 automatic rifle. Instead of asking for money and jewelry, the twenty-eight year old Jasmeen requests from her fiance to acquire a weapon for her so that she may join the fighters of the intifada. Jasmeen is an alias she assumes in order to escape the persecution of the occupation forces." I do not want gold, or a diamond ring, or jewelry, but rather a M-16, and if only I can acquire this I will wish for no more to be paid by my fiance." Her fiance, who is also a fighter, promises such a rifle to his bride-to-be. a slender girl.she does not appear to be a warrior and yet she has been active in the intifada for a number of months already. At first she supplied information regarding routes to the places of fighting, supplying ammunition, food supplies, water and means of communication to the fighters, and through publicizing opinions on the internet. Now Jasmeen says she has learned how to put together a rifle, has done target and shooting practice, with her parents' encouragement." [Al Hayat Al Jadida, March 10, 2001].
Summary
The bombing in Jerusalem, carried out by the female terrorist, is presented as a turning point, and, in fact, was an unusual occurrence. However, the encouragement of women to accept an active role in the fighting cannot be seen as a new direction, but rather as a reinforcement of an already existent tendency to create the ethos of the Palestinian woman fighter. Furthermore, there are concrete signs that the Palestinian Authority intends to utilize this attack as a springboard to encourage women to take a more active part in the attacks against Israel.
| Link & Sources: |
 PMW (Palestinian Media Watch) MEMRI (The Middle East Media Research Institute) BBC News |
