PA denies that investigation of journalist has anything to do with her open letter criticizing the PA
On Dec. 4, 2013, Palestinian journalist Iman Hareedy posted a critique of Abbas and the PA on her personal Facebook page. In the post, she complained that jobs for young Palestinian professionals are scarce and that only those with connections to the PA manage to find decent jobs. A day later, Hareedy posted a summons that she received from PA TV requiring her to attend a formal inquiry. A few days later, the PA daily published the following article, denying that the reason for Hareedy’s summons was her criticism of Abbas and the PA:
Headline: “The Public Television and Radio Authority (i.e., PBC – Palestine Broadcasting Corporation): ‘The employee’s summons for inquiry was an internal matter that concerns the Authority.”
“Palestine Public Broadcasting Corporation said ‘the summoning of one of the employees for an inquiry by an internal committee took place following her writing about an internal matter concerning the [Public Broadcasting] Corporation, and specifically her misleading allusions to the organizational structure, and [did] not [happen] because of what she published about President Mahmoud Abbas on the social networking website [Facebook].’
In a clarifying public announcement, the [Public Broadcasting] Corporation added yesterday evening [Dec. 6, 2013] that ‘it respects freedom of speech and opinion and [that] its management does not interfere except in what [constitutes] a violation of the code of ethics and the Civil Service Law.’”
From WAFA, official PA news agency
The letter posted by Palestinian journalist Iman Hareedy on her Facebook page:
“In the name of the merciful and compassionate Allah,
Mr. President Mahmoud Abbas, may Allah protect and save the President of the State of Palestine…
Re: A marriage proposal to Your Excellency.
I am citizen Iman Hareedy, 28 years old, and the daughter of a citizen who dreams of living in dignity. I work as a journalist for Palestinian [Authority] TV. I wish to marry Your Excellency so that I will be granted a dignified life and humane treatment by society and so that I will succeed in achieving my ambitions and fulfilling my dreams and the dreams of many young people of my generation: a respectable job and [to be granted] easier conditions because they (the young) live in the shadow of a bitter economic reality, the main feature of which is growing unemployment.
I turn to you so that I can put an end to the injustice that is being done to me and my peers. I am not the daughter of a senior [PA] official who can provide his children with what they want and fulfill their dreams, even if it is at other people’s expense. I am not the daughter of a person with influence or authority. I am the daughter of an ordinary person of whom I am proud, but Palestinian reality has made me certain that life, a respectable job and social, economic, and even political privileges are attained only by the family of a senior official and that favoritism has become a way of life.
Mr. President [Abbas], I have academic qualifications and I have experience, but the child of a senior official has a father who will get him everything. The doors are closed to the children of ordinary citizens.
Mr. President, I am asking you to put an end to this [favoritism] in your official and non-official institutions. I am asking you to embrace the young Palestinians who often think of emigrating.
I am asking you to prevent the insult to our intelligence. I am asking you to stand beside us and strengthen our connection to our cause so that we will be able to erase the term ‘son of a senior official’ from our bitter reality…
Your refugee Palestinian daughter from Palestine,
Iman Muhammad Hareedy”
The investigation summons posted by Iman Hareedy on her Facebook page:
“To Iman Muhammad Hareedy…
Re: Committee of Inquiry
Your presence is required at the Committee of Inquiry, established by the Board of Governors and Board of Directors, on Sunday, December 8, 2013, at 10:00, in the office of the Voice of Palestine Radio’s CEO.
Jamal Abu Taim,
Acting CEO for [PA] TV”
Headline: “The Public Television and Radio Authority (i.e., PBC – Palestine Broadcasting Corporation): ‘The employee’s summons for inquiry was an internal matter that concerns the Authority.”
“Palestine Public Broadcasting Corporation said ‘the summoning of one of the employees for an inquiry by an internal committee took place following her writing about an internal matter concerning the [Public Broadcasting] Corporation, and specifically her misleading allusions to the organizational structure, and [did] not [happen] because of what she published about President Mahmoud Abbas on the social networking website [Facebook].’
In a clarifying public announcement, the [Public Broadcasting] Corporation added yesterday evening [Dec. 6, 2013] that ‘it respects freedom of speech and opinion and [that] its management does not interfere except in what [constitutes] a violation of the code of ethics and the Civil Service Law.’”
From WAFA, official PA news agency
The letter posted by Palestinian journalist Iman Hareedy on her Facebook page:
“In the name of the merciful and compassionate Allah,
Mr. President Mahmoud Abbas, may Allah protect and save the President of the State of Palestine…
Re: A marriage proposal to Your Excellency.
I am citizen Iman Hareedy, 28 years old, and the daughter of a citizen who dreams of living in dignity. I work as a journalist for Palestinian [Authority] TV. I wish to marry Your Excellency so that I will be granted a dignified life and humane treatment by society and so that I will succeed in achieving my ambitions and fulfilling my dreams and the dreams of many young people of my generation: a respectable job and [to be granted] easier conditions because they (the young) live in the shadow of a bitter economic reality, the main feature of which is growing unemployment.
I turn to you so that I can put an end to the injustice that is being done to me and my peers. I am not the daughter of a senior [PA] official who can provide his children with what they want and fulfill their dreams, even if it is at other people’s expense. I am not the daughter of a person with influence or authority. I am the daughter of an ordinary person of whom I am proud, but Palestinian reality has made me certain that life, a respectable job and social, economic, and even political privileges are attained only by the family of a senior official and that favoritism has become a way of life.
Mr. President [Abbas], I have academic qualifications and I have experience, but the child of a senior official has a father who will get him everything. The doors are closed to the children of ordinary citizens.
Mr. President, I am asking you to put an end to this [favoritism] in your official and non-official institutions. I am asking you to embrace the young Palestinians who often think of emigrating.
I am asking you to prevent the insult to our intelligence. I am asking you to stand beside us and strengthen our connection to our cause so that we will be able to erase the term ‘son of a senior official’ from our bitter reality…
Your refugee Palestinian daughter from Palestine,
Iman Muhammad Hareedy”
[Facebook, Dec. 4, 2013]
The investigation summons posted by Iman Hareedy on her Facebook page:
“To Iman Muhammad Hareedy…
Re: Committee of Inquiry
Your presence is required at the Committee of Inquiry, established by the Board of Governors and Board of Directors, on Sunday, December 8, 2013, at 10:00, in the office of the Voice of Palestine Radio’s CEO.
Jamal Abu Taim,
Acting CEO for [PA] TV”
[Facebook, Dec. 5, 2013]