Palestinian Media Watch Bulletin
December 20, 2005
Palestinian Media Watch:
p:+972 2 625 4140e: pmw@pmw.org.il
f: +972 2 624 2803w: www.pmw.org.il

Mother sent sons on suicide missions, becomes Hamas candidate:
Indicates value of terror in Palestinian society
By Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook

Transforming Palestinian society into one that unabashedly embraces terror
has necessitated terror promotion at all levels of its social, educational
and political infrastructure. One of the most important components has been
the indoctrination of mothers to see the deaths of their sons as positive -
even beneficial - for their sons and their family status.

The Palestinian Authority has accordingly made it a principle to honor not
only suicide terrorists but also the mothers who actively send their sons on
suicide terror missions, as well as the mothers who express joy after their
sons' Shahada - Death for Allah.

A striking example of this glorification of mothers of terrorists is the
case of Um Nidal, who has recently been chosen to be a candidate on the
Hamas list in the upcoming Palestinian Authority parliamentary elections.

Um Nidal, who appears at right in an image from the Hamas website honoring
the mothers of suicide terrorists, participated in a farewell ceremony in
which she sent her 17-year-old son to die through terror, "ordering him not
to return except as a shahid [martyr for Allah]." In an interview recorded
after her son murdered five Israeli teenagers in a suicide mission, she
explained that it was a mother's love for her son that motivated her to be
joyous over his Shahada death. Um Nidal's parting ceremony and interview
were filmed, and turned Um Nidal into a heroine and role model in
Palestinian society.

To get a sense of the status in PA society of mothers who send their sons to
die, note the way that even a self-proclaimed moderate like Sari Nusseibeh,
president of Al-Quds University, addressed her during an interview.

Um Nidal (explaining why she sent her son to die): "My son is not dearer
than Islam. I have offered him as a gift and a sacrifice to Allah, may he be
glorified, and to His true faith...."

Sari Nusseibeh: "What comes to mind as I listen to sister Um Nidal is the
verse 'Paradise is under the feet of the mothers'. Praise is due to this
woman, and to every Palestinian mother..."

[Al-Jazeera, July 14,
2002,http://www.aljazeera.net/channel/archive/archive?ArchiveId=90809]

Um Nidal didn't stop at one son. She has proudly sent three of her sons to
their death as terrorist shahids. Palestinian society has responded by
dubbing her the "Al-Khansah of Palestine (see also http://www.palestine-
info.co.uk/am/publish/article_15771.shtml). Al-Khansa is a a heroic figure
from Islamic history who is glorified and revered solely for celebrating the
deaths of her four shahid sons. The PA has underscored the importance of
joyfully sacrificing sons for Allah in many different ways, including by
naming five girls' schools - in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Khan Yunis and
Rafah - after Al-Khansah, sending a clear message to young and
impressionable girls about their future role as the mothers of shahids.
Al-Khansah was also honored in the Palestinian Authority's recognition of
International Women's Day in the form of a televised play and official
sermon.

Because of her status as a role model, Um Nidal is once again in the news.
She has been chosen to be a candidate on the Hamas list in the upcoming
Palestinian Authority parliamentary elections. It is striking, and
indicative of the very nature of Palestinian society as one that accepts and
values terror as a way of life, that a woman could be chosen to be a
legislator solely by virtue of her celebration of her son's terrorism and
death.

To see two current Hamas election videos that give prominence to Um Nidal,
and the video from Palestinian Media Watch archives of her sending her
17-year-old son to his death, as well as her interview after his suicide
terror attack, click:
http://www.pmw.org.il/asx/um_nidal.asx

From PMW archives - Palestinian mother's celebrating sons' death

To see a mother describe the suicide death of her two sons as a "wedding,"
click:
http://pmw.org.il/asx/PMW_UmmAjrami%20171104_9.asx

To see a mother describe how she prayed during her pilgrimage to Mecca for
her son to die as a shahid, click:
http://pmw.org.il/asx/PMW_MeccaShahid_7.asx

To view a Palestinian Authority social welfare official explain how the
Palestinian Authority teaches its "daughters and granddaughters" to
celebrate the death of sons as a wedding, click:
http://pmw.org.il/asx/PMW_SanaAida.asx
To see a mother describe how her son sought Shahada in order to marry the
"Dark Eyed" - the 72 maidens (or virgins) of Paradise, click:
http://pmw.org.il/asx/PMW_momVirgins_7.asx

To view a mother describing how she hoped her son would die because "I
wanted the best for him," and because it would bring honor to her entire
family, click:
http://pmw.org.il/asx/PMW_Shadi_mom_7.asx

A PA TV video clip, broadcast for years, directed mothers to send their sons
to battle. The actress portraying a mother is shown expressing the
traditional sound of joy after her son is killed. She then hands his gun to
her next son and sends him into combat. To view the clip, click:
http://pmw.org.il/asx/PMW_momGun_7.asx

The mother of a murderer of three Israelis describers her joy upon hearing
of her son's death, and recounts that he aspired to Shahada because, in the
son's words, "72 Dark Eyed [Maidens] of Paradise are waiting for me." To
view the clip, click here:
http://pmw.org.il/asx/PMW_Fuda_9.asx

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