UN bodies and European governments support murderer-honoring NGO
Three UN bodies, Spain, and the Netherlands
support Palestinian NGO
that honored murderer of 3 civilians
- UNDP, UNFPA, FAO, the Spanish government, the Dutch government and European NGOs are behind Palestinian NGO that organized chain of readers in honor of murderer of 3, Baha Alyan.
- Murderer presented to kids as role model, Palestinian scout leader: He was "an example for every scout," "died as a Martyr while fulfilling his holy duty."
- An-Najah University is 4th university to hold "chain of readers" event to honor killer.
Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Chains of readers have become a popular way in the PA to commemorate murderer Baha Alyan who together with another terrorist killed 3 Israeli civilians on a bus in Jerusalem in November last year.
Alyan himself organized a chain of readers in Jerusalem in 2014, and it is this initiative that is being repeated now to honor him as a killer.
One such chain of readers in which "female activists and mothers" participated, was organized in Hebron by the Palestinian NGO Rural Women's Development Society. [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 22, 2016]
The NGO states on its website that it "recently received funds from" three UN bodies, two European governments, and two European NGOs, which are all thereby, by proxy, honoring the terrorist who killed 3:
- UNDP (The UN Development Program)
- UNFPA (The UN Population Fund)
- FAO (The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN)
- The Spanish government via the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID)
- The Dutch government by way of The Netherlands' Representative Office in Ramallah
- The Spanish NGO Conemund and the Danish NGO Kvinfo.
[Website of RWDS, accessed April 3, 2016]
The other Palestinian NGO organizing the event in honor of murderer Alyan, the Union of Palestinian Women Committees, is supported by a British organization named The Welfare Association, which is funded by the British government's DFID (Department for International Development), among others. [Website of UPWC, accessed April 3, 2016]
Terrorist Baha Alyan has also been presented as a role model to children and youth in the Palestinian Authority. Alyan, who was a scout leader, was honored by the Jenin branch of the scouts' movement with an event at which one of the scout leaders, Jamal Fa'our, said that "the leader Martyr (Shahid) Baha Alyan is an example for every scout," and stated that terrorist Alyan "died as a Martyr while fulfilling his holy duty." [Official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 30, 2016]
Palestinian Media Watch has reported on three PA universities arranging chains of readers events to glorify the terrorist: Hebron University, Al-Quds University and Birzeit University. Since then, An-Najah University has copied the idea, and at the event, the Nablus District Governor Akram Al-Rajoub honored Alyan in his speech: "It is as if his [Baha Alyan's] soul is soaring above our heads and saying to us: 'We are a generation that must have a national culture that will [help] us distinguish between right and wrong, a culture that will create a generation that leads rather than one that is being led.'" [Al-Fajr Al-Jadid TV (Independent Palestinian TV channel), March 21, 2016] Earlier in the month, another chain was established in a "public place" in Nablus to "appeal to a larger segment of society and not just to students... so that students, school children, and others could enjoy." [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 19, 2016]
Girls in Gaza also arranged a chain of readers event "to tell the world that a 'nation that reads' needs to resist by way of reading as it resists by way of weapons." One girl explained the idea behind the chain: "The purpose of this chain is first of all to fulfill the Martyr's dream, so the Martyr will not be just a number, and in addition, to strengthen the principle of reading." [Donia Al-Watan (independent Palestinian news agency), Feb. 23, 2016]
The following are the reports on the different chain of readers events honoring killer Alyan:
Headline: "Chain of readers in Hebron to commemorate Martyr Alyan"
"Dozens of female activists and mothers took part in a chain of readers to commemorate Martyr (Shahid) Baha Alyan, on the occasion of National Reading Day, March 8 [International Women's Day], and Mother's Day [March 21], in the presence of the Martyr's parents. The activity was held in Ibn Rashed square in the center of Hebron, by the Rural Women's Development Society and the Union of Working Palestinian Women's Committees, under the title 'Do not turn me into another number, which you count today and forget tomorrow.'
The participants emphasized that the concept of reading should be rooted [in the Palestinian people] due to its significance to the national awakening, and held signs condemning the occupation's actions and others that encourage citizens to read."
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 22, 2016]
Headline: "The spirit of Martyr Baha Alyan is gazing longingly over the An-Najah National University plaza"
"[Baha Alyan] loved Jerusalem, its people, and its history, and worked night and day for the success of the first chain of readers around the walls of Jerusalem in March 2014, which included thousands of people holding books and thus succeeded in breaking a Guinness record...
Our Jerusalemite Martyr (Shahid) Baha Alyan has left us only in body, as his soul and idea of a chain [of readers] continue to exist throughout Palestine and now for the fourth time in Nablus.
The students at An-Najah National University held a chain of readers at the Arts Faculty back plaza. They read several books together with their professors, discussed various matters with each other, and exchanged books for two hours during their studies.
Alaa Al-Dik, a student at the Written and Electronic Press Faculty, said in her speech: 'In an event which has never before taken place in any city in Palestine - two of Baha Alyan's chains of readers within four days - Nablus is witnessing a shift culturally and quality-wise in the [field] of reading. Baha did what no one else has done for many years, praise his soul.'...
Nablus District Governor Akram Al-Rajoub stated in his speech: 'This is an exceptional day on which we remember the souls of the Martyrs, including Baha Alyan, who founded the first long chain of readers in Jerusalem. It is as if his soul is soaring above our heads and saying to us: "We are a generation that must have a national culture that will [help] us distinguish between right and wrong, a culture that will create a generation that leads rather than one that is being led."'"
[Al-Fajr Al-Jadid TV (Independent Palestinian TV channel), March 21, 2016]
Headline: "The Jenin scout group in the Al-Badawi [refugee camp in Lebanon] celebrates the anniversary of its founding"
"As part of the events held by the Jenin scout group in honor of the 14th anniversary of its founding, under the title "Scouting in your way, O [scout] leader Baha [Alyan]," an activity to determine [the members'] blood type was held at the group's headquarters.
The [scout] leader Jamal Fa'our said that the [scout] leader Martyr (Shahid) Baha Alyan is an example for every scout, and noted that Baha died as a Martyr while fulfilling his holy duty."
[Official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 30, 2016]
Headline: "Martyr Baha Alyan came to life in Gaza"
"About two years ago, Baha Alyan, 22, left his mark by participating in the organization of the activity 'the longest chain of readers around the walls of Jerusalem,' and at the beginning of the Jerusalem Intifada (i.e., wave of terror attacks from September 2015 - continuing) he left a different mark by way of the operation (i.e., terror attack) that he carried out together with the [now] prisoner Bilal Ghanem. Baha died in the operation, but his idea did not, and it was adopted by additional young people in Hebron, who promised to continue what he began, and organized a similar activity. (So-called "human chains of readers" were held at the Hebron University, Birzeit University and Al-Quds University -Ed.)
A few months later, Gazan girls revived the idea with the launching of the chain of Palestinian readers that is meant to take place on the upcoming March 3 [2016] in the Gaza port, and thus unite the continuation of the Martyr's (Shahid's) dream, and the encouragement of the idea of reading, and to tell the world that a 'nation that reads' needs to resist by way of reading as it resists by way of weapons.
The activity is being organized by three friends, who were united by a joint goal and decided to do something that would contribute to the continuation of Martyr Alyan's dream on the one hand, and to the encouragement of reading on the other. The three activists are Majdolin Hasnah, law student Majd Badir, and Lina Islim, 16, an 11th grade student. Badir said: '... the purpose of this chain is first of all to fulfill the Martyr's dream, so the Martyr will not be just a number, and in addition, to strengthen the principle of reading...'
The young women sent an invitation last Sunday on Facebook in order to recruit as many participants as possible for this chain, and they were surprised by the number of people who intend to participate, as it reached about 7,500 people in one day."
[Donia Al-Watan (independent Palestinian news agency), Feb. 23, 2016]
Headline: "Baha Alyan in Nablus"
"On Thursday [March 17, 2016], a line of participants established a new stop along the ledge overlooking the Roman amphitheater in the Jamal Abd Al-Nasser Park in Nablus, in the chain of readers launched by Martyr (Shahid) Baha Alyan last year around the walls of Jerusalem.
Director of the Hira cultural program Malak Abu Aisheh said: 'This event was held as a complement to the chain of readers launched by Martyr Baha Alyan in Jerusalem and the chains of readers launched afterwards in a number of districts.' (So-called "human chains of readers" were held at the Hebron University, Birzeit University and Al-Quds University -Ed.)
She added that Martyr Baha has left his body, but his idea remains among the citizens, and this event is meant to encourage people to read...
An-Najah National University student Anwar Abdo, who volunteers in the Hamdi Mango Center (i.e., Nablus municipality cultural center), explained that the chain of readers is meant to appeal to a larger segment of society and not just to students, and therefore a public place was chosen that students, school children, and others could enjoy.
More than 70 citizens participated in the activity, including... the student Rayyan Qassem, who said that the main purpose for her participation in the activity was to complete what Martyr Baha Alyan began last year...
It should be noted that the next chain of readers is meant to take place at the An-Najah National University in Nablus this Sunday."
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, March 19, 2016]