Skip to main content

Facebook page associating UNRWA with terror glorification closed

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik  |
Facebook page associating UNRWA
with terror glorification closed

Three days after PMW exposed that UNRWA's name
was on the logo of a Palestinian youth center
that glorified a suicide terrorist on Facebook,
the page was closed*

UNRWA has not responded
with any statement on its website

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
 
[Al-Amari Facebook page,
accessed May 16, 2013]
Last week, Palestinian Media Watch reported on the glorification of suicide bomber Wafa Idris by the Palestinian Al-Amari youth center on its Facebook page, noting that UNRWA's name (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) appeared in the logo of the youth center on the page.

Three days after PMW's report, the Al-Amari's Facebook page, which displayed UNRWA's name in its logo, has been closed. The announcement on the Facebook page says "this content is currently unavailable." There is no other page on Facebook in the name of the Al-Amari youth center.


 
[Facebook, accessed May 20, 2013]

*Note: A week after this bulletin was released, PMW found that the Al-Amari Facebook page was up and running again. The page still features the Al-Amari Youth Center's logo with UNRWA's name on it. (Updated June 3, 2013)

At the time of writing, PMW is not aware of any statement by UNRWA about the association of its name with the youth center that chose to glorify a suicide terrorist who killed one and injured 100, nor has the UN organization condemned this recent praise of the terrorist.

In 2011, PMW reported on the similar association of UNRWA's name with glorification of terrorist Wafa Idris when the same Al-Amari youth center named a tournament after her. UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness chose not to condemn the center's glorification of the suicide bomber, despite the fact that UNRWA's logo was included in the announcement of the event. Instead, UNRWA denied its responsibility by informing PMW that the use of its name by the Al-Amari youth center in its logo was not authorized.

However, as reported, the "unauthorized" use of the name UNRWA in the logo of the organization that glorified the suicide bomber continued.

In 2013, suicide bomber Wafa Idris was glorified on the Al-Amari youth center's Facebook page and under the name of UNRWA with the following picture of the terrorist and these words of praise:

"Peace upon you, (i.e., suicide bomber Wafa Idris) daughter of Al-Amari (Refugee Camp.) Would that Heaven be enjoyable for you and Martyrdom death for Allah (Shahada) be enjoyable for you.
13 years have passed and your memory remains because you are the symbol of sacrifice. You are the symbol of pride, pride in its fullest, of our resolute refugee camp. You are the pride of the women of Palestine.
We pledge our loyalty to you, oh Wafa, oh she who fulfilled her commitment and fulfilled her promise, oh most noble of the noble ones. Rest in peace and may a light shine on your pure soul, the woman who is worth a thousand men."
 
Caption on the picture:
"The first female Martyrdom-seeker in the Al-Aqsa Intifada
Martyr (Shahida) Wafa Idris"
[Al-Amari Facebook page, accessed May 16, 2013]

PMW documents glorification of terrorists in the PA and the association of international organizations with such terror glorification.

RelatedView all ❯