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Tuesday, July 4, 2006
PMW PA seems poised to use kids as human shields

Palestinian Media Watch Bulletin - July 4, 2006
Contact Palestinian Media Watch:
p:+972 2 625 4140e: pmw@pmw.org.il
f: +972 2 624 2803w: www.pmw.org.il

Palestinian Authority seems poised
to use kids as human shields:
Child martyrdom promotion clip
returns to PA TV after three years' absence

By Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook
"How sweet is the fragrance of the earth, its thirst quenched by the gush of
blood, flowing from the youthful body."
[PATV music video June 28 -29, 2006]

Video presents famous child martyr Muhammad Al Dura calling to other
children to follow him to Child-Martyr Heaven.
In Child-Martyr Heaven, Al Dura is playing with kites and Ferris wheels.
Video was removed from Palestinian Authority (PA) TV after it was exposed by
PMW at a US Senate hearing in October 2003.
Video brought outraged reaction from US senators:
Sen. Hillary Clinton called them "horrific child abuse."
Sen. Arlen Specter denounced them as "civilization abuse."
After an absence of nearly three years, video has been rebroadcast twice in
the last week.
At a US Senate Hearing in October 2003, Palestinian Media Watch director
Itamar Marcus presented evidence of the Palestinian Authority's
indoctrination of children to aspire to "heroic" death as Shahids - Martyrs
for Allah. Immediately thereafter, after widespread political and media
condemnation both in print and on television, most PA TV clips that directly
taught children to seek heroic Shahada -Martyrdom for Allah- were removed.
Now, after nearly three years, the PA has suddenly started rebroadcasting
the Al Dura in Paradise video. The clip features a child actor playing
Muhammad Al Dura, whose death in a crossfire in 2000 was broadcast to the
entire world, calling on children to join him in Paradise. In Child-Martyr
Paradise, Al Dura is playing with kites and Ferris wheels, presenting an
ideal children's world that is designed to attract young naive children. And
it opens with the words from Al Dura to the living children: "I am waving
not to part but to say: 'Follow me'."

There are numerous reasons for the sudden encouragement now of children to
seek heroic death. The PA, has its image blackened by the kidnapping of
soldier Gilad Shalit, the killings of soldiers and the continuous missile
barrage on southern Israel. Certainly the PA wants to reposition itself as
the victim, something that they successfully achieved in the past by sending
children to combat zones, and achieving their goal through dead and injured
Palestinian children to report to the media.
As Israel re-enters the Gaza Strip to search for terrorists and the
kidnapped Israeli soldier, the sudden encouragement of children to seek
death indicates the PA is in all likelihood returning to this previously
successful tactic of using children as human shields for terrorists. It
makes it more difficult for Israeli soldiers to fight terrorist, and it
creates ideal photo opportunities of children armed only with stones,
"bravely" confronting heavily-armed soldiers.
Children are taught that the short cut to both glory and fun is to follow Al
Dura to heaven. Some of these children inevitably will be caught in the
crossfire, PA leaders will rush to the media to publicly mourn the children
they have so deceitfully sent to their deaths, and Israel will once again be
condemned.

The following is the text of the Al Dura in Paradise clip:
"How sweet is the fragrance of the martyrs,
how sweet is the fragrance of the earth,
its thirst quenched by the gush of blood
flowing from the youthful body."
Caption: "And so he went..."
Choir: "Goodbye to the boy Muhammad" (2x)
Aida (popular woman soloist):
"Goodbye, goodbye."...
Aida: How sweet is the fragrance of the earth,
Its thirst quenched by the gush of blood
flowing from the youthful body.
Choir: Goodbye, goodbye.
Aida: Goodbye, goodbye...
Choir: O father, 'til we meet (2x)
Aida (woman soloist):
'til we meet, my father, 'til we meet!
I shall go with no fear, no tears,
How sweet is the fragrance of the martyrs!
I shall go to my place in heaven,
How sweet is the fragrance of the martyrs!
Choir: How sweet is the fragrance of the martyrs!
Aida: O my father, 'til we meet (2x)
Choir: O my father, 'til we meet ...
Goodbye to the child, Muhammad
Aida: O the children of the world say
Choir: Goodbye to the child, Muhammad!
Aida: 'til we meet, O Muhammad
Choir: 'til we meet, O Muhammad

The message of this song to Palestinian children is clear: glory and fun can
be achieved quickly and painlessly by death for Allah - just like Muhammad
Al Dura.

Please feel free to forward this bulletin, crediting Palestinian Media Watch

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