A music
video depicting a Shahid (Martyr for Allah) being greeted in
Paradise by the Dark Eyed Maidens (Virgins) has returned to
Palestinian Authority (PA) television. The return of this of
Shahada (Death for Allah) promotion comes at a time the PA leadership
may be interested in increasing the motivation of its fighters.
The PA fears an Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip in
response to the continuous firing of rockets at Israeli cities.
The clip portrays a woman
being shot in the back by Israeli soldiers. She is immediately
transported to Paradise, where she joins other Maidens wearing
identical long white gowns, all joyously dancing, waiting to
marry their Shahid. The next scenes depict her male
friend visiting her grave, after which he is also shot by Israeli
soldiers. His Shahada- Death for Allah is immediately rewarded,
and he is transported to heaven, where all the "Maidens"
-- including his lover -- turn to greet him.
This is one of the longest-running
music videos on PA TV. It was broadcast incessantly for years,
often several times a day during the PA terror war (2000-2005)
and returned for a month in September 2006. This recurring image
of the Martyr being rewarded by receiving the Maidens was part
of the multifaceted PA campaign glorifying and encouraging terror,
and promoting suicide terror as idyllic Shahada (Martyrdom
for Allah).
After an absence of more than
a year, PA TV has been broadcasting this video clip regularly
for the past month. It is possible that PA TV is attempting
to increase the motivation for battle, and especially death
in battle, among its men should a ground war develop in the
Gaza Strip.
The belief that man is rewarded
with beautiful women in Paradise is based on Islamic traditions
in the Quran [Suras 42, 44, 52, 56, and others] and
the Hadith (traditions attributed to Muhammad), and
is expressed regularly in many parts of PA society..
Click on the following
5 links to see expressions of this reward:
1
- Mothers who celebrate terrorist sons' deaths as weddings
Mother: "We do not encourage
our sons to die. We encourage them to Shahada for the homeland,
for Allah. We don't say to the mothers of the shahids, 'We have
come to comfort you,' but 'We have come to bless you on the
wedding of your son, on the Shahada of your son. Congratulations
to you on the Shahada...' For us, the mourning is joyous. We
give out drinks, we give out sweets. Praise to God - the mourning
is a joyous occasion." [PA TV, November 17, 2004
2
- Woman says her planned suicide terror would have made her
one of the Maidens who would marry a Martyr
Q. Had you succeeded in [your
suicide] mission, what would have been your reward?
A. The reward was from Allah, in Paradise. The female Martyrdom-seeker
becomes one of the Dark-Eyed Maidens, and she marries one of
the Martyrs.
[IBA news, Oct. 2004]
3
- Suicide terrorists who anticipate the Maidens as reward in
farewell videos
Terrorist:
"Angels of mercy, escort our souls to Heaven after we fulfill
this duty of crushing the descendents of monkeys and pigs. Dear
father and mother, blessings of honor and respect to you, while
you escort me to the Maidens of Paradise as a Martyr."
4
- Mother explaining that her son's motivation to terror was
his inability to find a bride so he chose to be a Martyr to
marry the Maidens of Paradise
Mother:
"He would always dream of Shahada, it was his first and
last goal in life. I told him, 'Dear, we all want to be shahids.'
He said, 'In this entire world, I can't think of anyone to marry.
I want to marry the Dark Eyed [Virgins or Maidens of Paradise].'
I said [that] if these are his thoughts, I wish him Shahada."
[PA TV, January 21, 2003]
5
- PA religious leaders teach that the 72 Dark Eyed Virgins is
reward of Martyr
We shouldn’t forget that Allah, praise him, in blessing the blood of the Martyr, He forgives him from the first gush of blood. And he sees his place in Paradise. He is shielded from the Great Shock and marries 72 Dark-Eyed Maidens (virgins).”
[PATV, program of Sheik Imad Hamato Nov. 3, 2006]
The PA grants Shahid (Martyr)
status to all those killed in conflict including suicide bombers
and other terrorists.
"PMW is monitoring even the air
Palestinian broadcasters breathe"
[Arabic internet news- "I'laf,"
London]
The Arab media is now monitoring
PMW
by Itamar Marcus and Barbara
Crook, Dec.19, 2007
A good indicator of PMW’s growing international impact
is the fact that Palestinian TV and Arab internet news services
are feeling the need to respond quickly to PMW reports. Fatah
TV, Hamas TV and an Arabic internet site in London have all
recently responded to PMW bulletins. The Arab media is now monitoring
the monitor.
This week the London-based
Arab internet site "I'laf" described PMW's scope:
"The [Palestinian
radio] broadcaster was not aware that his every word was being
monitored, recorded and made public, while he presented his
listeners with questions from a trivia quiz. As it turns out,
an Israeli organization, Palestinian Media Watch, is monitoring
even the air which Palestinian broadcasters breathe. This
was uncovered following a [PMW] report entitled "Hitler-
a Hero for Voice of Palestine" …"
[December 6, 2007, Arabic internet news, "I'laf",
London]
This news item was in response
to the PMW bulletin citing the Palestinian radio contest in
which Adolf Hitler was presented heroically.
Last month, Fatah-controlled
PA TV attacked PMW as "racist" the day after a PMW
bulletin documented a Fatah TV broadcast with a video clip promising
Israel's destruction. PMW noted that Fatah TV promised to liberate
all of Israel: "We will liberate the Land…
Palestine is Arab in history and identity… From Jerusalem
and Acre, from Haifa … and Jaffa, Be'er Sheba and Ramle,
from Nablus to the Galilee, from Tiberias to Hebron.”
Defending the clip, Fatah TV called PMW “racist”
for identifying Haifa, Acre and Jaffa as Israeli cities, insisting
those cities are "Palestinian land". The PA TV moderator
then said of PMW's work:
"And the most important
thing is that there is Israeli supervision and monitoring
of all the cultural intellectual and political activities
that take place in Palestine. It is operated by non-governmental
institutions ... " [Oct. 30, 2007 PA TV]
Vowing not to give in to
PMW pressure, Fatah TV promised to continue broadcasting the
clip promising to "liberate" all of Israel. Indeed,
it has since been broadcast almost daily on PA TV, including
during the Annapolis conference.
Hamas TV was under attack
worldwide when PMW exposed its use of Mickey Mouse to teach
children Islamic supremacy and hatred of Israel and the West.
The moderator asked the director of the program:
"What about the claim
that you are brainwashing children, said by Palestinian Media
Watch?"
The director responded that they reject PMW:
"We are trying to brainwash them and tell them the truth.
We tell them that Palestine is your property and your right."
[Al Aqsa TV (Hamas) May 13, 2007]
While the Arab world may recommend
ignoring or hiding from PMW, Western media and governments are
appreciating the central value of PMW findings. The N.Y. Times
in its editorial last week demanded that both Israel and the
Palestinians do more for peace, citing the findings of the recent
PMW bulletin:
"The government-run
Palestinian Authority TV also clearly hasn't gotten the post-Annapolis
message: broadcasting a map of the region soon after the meeting
that pointedly erased Israel [see
PMW bulletin 28/11/07]… Mr. Abbas should order a
review of Palestinian textbooks and order his aides to curb
rhetoric that Israelis say incite terrorism." [see PMW report on newest Palestinian textbooks.]
[NY TIMES editorial, December 11, 2007, Starting the Peace
Process]
Hitler – Hero of "Voice of Palestine" contest
Winner who guesses "Hitler" - wins 600 Shekel
Hitler's military victories cited in detail;
Holocaust is not a part of Hitler's history
by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook, Dec. 4, 2007
"His golden year was 1940, when his armies invaded Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Holland, and Belgium and defeated France ... By mid 1942, his country controlled the largest land area in Europe… He refused to surrender and continued to fight for two more years, but, his bitter end came in the spring of 1945 when he took his own life…. Who is he?"
[From Voice of Palestine radio contest, Nov. 27, 2007]
Introduction:
This text is just part of the official Palestinian radio Ramadan quiz that was rebroadcast this past week, whose hero was Hitler. The full broadcast presents Hitler heroically, detailing his 2 Medals' of Honor in World War 1, his rise to power, his launching of World War 2 and specifies country after country that he conquered. His victories in 1940 are coined "his golden year", while his defeat and death are coined: "his bitter end."
Not surprisingly, though citing his victories and "bitter" fall in great detail, the Holocaust is not mentioned. This is consistent with Palestinian education in general which erases the Holocaust from history. See recent full PMW report and bulletin on new 12th grade Palestinian history schoolbook, in which many pages are dedicated to the history of World War 2 and even to Nazi racism, but neither Jews nor the Holocaust are mentioned.
Admiration of Hitler in the Palestinian Authority
It may be surprising to Western observers to see official Palestinian radio presenting Hitler heroically. But it is important to understand that the revulsion of Hitler expected in the West is not true in Palestinian society. Palestinians can be found who are named "Hitler" as a first name: Hitler Salah [Al Hayat Al Jadida (Fatah), Sept. 28, 2005], Hitler Abu-Alrab [Al Hayat Al Jadida (Fatah), Jan. 27, 2005], Hitler Mahmud Abu-Libda [Al Hayat Al Jadida (Fatah), Dec.18, 2000.] Articles have appeared in both Fatah and Hamas newspapers which demonstrate Hitler's admired status.
The following is the full text of the "Voice of Palestine" contest in which guessing Hitler's name will win a prize of 600 Shekel, followed by a selection of past articles from both Fatah and Hamas newspapers that have demonstrate Hitler's admired status.
Voice of Palestine – official Palestinian Authority radio, Nov. 27, 2007
"Dear listeners, welcome to the 20th session of the Ramadan Educational Quiz."
[Guess the unknown person -the correct answer is "Hitler"- editor]
"He was a leader and politician, born in 1889 in Braunau, Austria.
He served in the German army during the First World War, was wounded in service and awarded two Medals of Honor.
He joined a small right-wing party in Munich and became the head of this party without a struggle within two years.
In 1923, he attempted to execute a coup but failed. He was arrested, imprisoned and released after serving a year in prison.
In 1933 he became his country’s Chancellor, and used the state's mechanisms to crush his political opponents.
He earned his popularity by succeeding to lower unemployment rates and to generate an economic recovery in his country. Later he prepared his country for the Second World War.
His golden year was 1940, when his armies invaded Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Holland, and Belgium and defeated France in June 1940.
That year Britain managed to withstand the attacks of his Air Force and he missed the victory over Britain.
His armies conquered Greece and Yugoslavia in 1941.
That year he violated the non-belligerency treaty and attacked Russia. His armies took control of vast Soviet areas.
His armies were defeated in Stalingrad.
He declared war on the United States in 1941. By mid 1942, his country controlled the largest land area in Europe and large parts of North Africa.
The turning point of the war occurred late in 1942, when his forces were defeated in the Battle of Al-Alamein.
He refused to surrender and continued to fight for two more years, but, his bitter end came in the spring of 1945 when he took his own life, and his country surrendered a week later. Who is he?
Answers should be sent to the address: Ramallah … Voice of Palestine, Division of Program [Development], Ramadan [Trivia] Quiz…the first prize is 600 NIS."
PMW Archives:
Admiration of Hitler in the Palestinian Authority newspapers
A Palestinian newspaper chronicled with pride the ways in which different foreign leaders singled out the Palestinians as examples of ideal revolutionaries. The first leader cited for praising the Palestinians was Adolf Hitler:
"Adolf Hitler, while exciting the Germans of the Sudetenland - the Sudetenland is a German province that the Allies had annexed to Czechoslovakia after the First World War - told them in his broadcasts: Look at what the Palestinian revolutionaries are doing to Great Britain!!"
[Al-Rissala (Hamas Weekly), May 18, 2006]
This phenomenon of Palestinians being named after Hitler, cited above, was explained in an article in the official Palestinian Authority daily praising the rewriting of history and the doing of "justice" to Hitler:
"Even Adolf Hitler, who after the fall of Nazi Germany turned into a political horror for most of the writers and artists, during the last decades has started to return himself to his part of the picture. There are some in Britain who defended Hitler and tried to do justice for him. There are elderly people, among them Arabs, who still carry the name Hitler since their fathers, who were charmed by him, linked them [their children] with his name."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Fatah), April 13, 2000]
One article explained the phenomenon of naming Palestinians after admired foreign leaders - such as Napoleon and the Nazi General Rommel:
"Sometimes parents name their children with foreign names, due to the father's admiration to a foreign personality. This is the source of the names: Rommel [famous Nazi General] and Napoleon."
[Al-Ayyam, November 15, 2001 "Woman's Voice" supplement.]
The admiration for Hitler is consistent with the status of Mein Kampf, which a PA daily cited as a book on the best sellers' list.
[Al Hayat Al Jadida (Fatah), Sept. 2, 1999].
[Husseini inspects Nazi troops] [Hitler with Husseini]
A contributing factor to this admiration may be the history of the Hitler - Arab alliance during World War 2. The Arab leader in British Palestine, the Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, was actively allied with Hitler. The numerous meetings between the Mufti and Hitler are well documented.
Finally, the PA daily published an interview with an elderly Lebanese which described the man's professed friendship with Hitler, as well as his pride in fighting for Hitler: And whereas this is a personal account whose historical accuracy is not important, what is significant is the positive, even proud attitude about his friendship with Hitler, that is being expressed so routinely.
Interview with Sheikh Ali Hussain Abu-Ibrahim, a Palestinian resident of Lebanon who claims he is 116 years old:
"Question: What are the important events in your life that left the biggest impression?
Answer: The first was the Hitler event. I met him in Jerusalem in one of the Turkish Army camps, and the friendship between us was very tight. At the time I was a sergeant while Hitler was a simple private. The relationship between us tightened even more once Turkey entered the war together with Germany. The second event was when I participated [with the Nazi army] in entering France and conquering it. I was in charge of the cannon that shelled Paris, which had an active influence on the fall of the French capital and its conquest without any notable resistance. Hitler congratulated me on this shelling and its consequences… As an artillery officer I took part in many operations against the English and France, until the end of the Second World-War …"
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Fatah), May 12, 2003.]
Clearly, the name Hitler does not have the stigma in PA society that it has in the West. Indeed, not only the Hamas daily, but the Fatah controlled PA dailies as well, have written in favorable tones about Hitler. To some Palestinians the man and his name are sources of admiration.
Day after Annapolis:
Palestinian Authority TV shows"
Palestine" map erasing Israel
by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook - November 28, 2007
Just a day after Israeli and Palestinian leaders at the Annapolis peace conference pledged to negotiate a peace treaty by the end of 2008, Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority continues to paint a picture for its people of a world without Israel.
An information clip produced by the Palestinian Authority Central Bureau of Statistics and rebroadcast today on Abbas-controlled Palestinian television, shows a map in which Israel is painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag, symbolizing Israel turned into a Palestinian state.
The description of all of the state of Israel as "Palestine" is not coincidental, and is part of a formal, systematic educational approach throughout the Palestinian Authority. This uniform message of a world without Israel is repeated in school books, children's programs, crossword puzzles, video clips, formal symbols, school and street names, etc. The picture painted for the Palestinian population, both verbally and visually, is of a world without Israel.
The fact that this campaign continues before the ink on the Annapolis agreement is even dry appears to contradict the central promise of the Palestinians at the Annapolis conference: that Israel has a right to exist.
