PA daily article criticizes promotion of violence and martyrdom for children in Palestinian society
Muwaffaq Matar, regular columnist for the official PA daily:
"Protect your and our children, for it is neither acceptable nor permissible to place children and youth in areas fraught with danger, or [even] to allow them to reach their outskirts. We gave birth to them in order that they could grow, and we are ready to sacrifice for them, not to have them die for our sake, for it is not moral to exploit our children in national events.
Whoever is embarrassed to wave a flag or a sign – let him stay at home. Palestinian mothers did not bear their children in order for groups and parties to use them as bearers of flags, signs, and photographs, and designate them as stone-throwers at demonstrations, processions, and activities…
We are talking about children, and we all – without exception – bear responsibility for their presence at the sites of clashes, whether they are non-violent or otherwise. The photograph of a child facing the war machine is not heroism, but rather a careless understanding of the meaning of childhood, even if enthusiasm and the national significance captivate us for a day or two. When we get back to ourselves and our emotions and drives calm down, we will understand the mistake that we ourselves have brought about. If the demon of the occupation is a ravenous beast that knows no satiation that does not mean that we should prepare meals for it from the blood of our children. Our children were born to live, and they are not numbers, photographs, or stamps for collecting in the albums of amateur politicians."
"Protect your and our children, for it is neither acceptable nor permissible to place children and youth in areas fraught with danger, or [even] to allow them to reach their outskirts. We gave birth to them in order that they could grow, and we are ready to sacrifice for them, not to have them die for our sake, for it is not moral to exploit our children in national events.
Whoever is embarrassed to wave a flag or a sign – let him stay at home. Palestinian mothers did not bear their children in order for groups and parties to use them as bearers of flags, signs, and photographs, and designate them as stone-throwers at demonstrations, processions, and activities…
We are talking about children, and we all – without exception – bear responsibility for their presence at the sites of clashes, whether they are non-violent or otherwise. The photograph of a child facing the war machine is not heroism, but rather a careless understanding of the meaning of childhood, even if enthusiasm and the national significance captivate us for a day or two. When we get back to ourselves and our emotions and drives calm down, we will understand the mistake that we ourselves have brought about. If the demon of the occupation is a ravenous beast that knows no satiation that does not mean that we should prepare meals for it from the blood of our children. Our children were born to live, and they are not numbers, photographs, or stamps for collecting in the albums of amateur politicians."