In the News May 14

74th Anniversary of Al-Nakba – The Catastrophe

Condemn the Assassination of Palestinian-American Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

Vigil in Vancouver, May 13, 2022

The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) condemns the May 11 assassination of the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and the Israeli assaults on her funeral, as well as assassinations of other journalists covering the occupation of Palestine. The U.S., Canada, Britain and other countries claim they defend freedom of the press but not when it concerns those courageous journalists who speak out to tell the truth of what is happening in Palestine. This is yet another war crime which must not go unpunished.

Reproduced below is an article posted on his Facebook page on May 11 by Abbas Hamideh, Executive Director of Al Awda, the Palestine Right of Return Movement in the U.S. The article is reproduced in its entirety.

Hamideh wrote:

The assassination of the most influential Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is the attempted assassination of the Palestinian voice like those powerful voices before her.

Shireen Abu Akleh

Shireen, a Palestinian-Christian 51-year-old woman born in Jerusalem and whose family descends from Bethlehem, was, in fact, the voice of Palestine for over 25 years or, as we say in Arabic, “Sawt Falasteen.” Shireen was married to the cause; she never had any children of her own. In every Palestinian-Arab home, cafe, or recreational facility worldwide, she was a household name for Palestine, appearing as an iconic lead journalist on Al Jazeera. Her sign-off from every correspondence on Palestine was “Shireen Abu Akleh, min Filasteen al muhtala” (Shireen Abu Akleh from Occupied Palestine). Although Al Jazeera, to a certain degree, relaxed its language on the occupation of Palestine, Shireen, on her part, never wavered from referring to Jerusalem (Al-Quds), Ramallah, or anywhere in Palestine as occupied.

Her detailed coverage of Palestine never succumbed to normalizing mainstream media rhetoric. She called a spade a spade and hence was the target of multiple arrests recently until her assassination earlier today in the glorious city of Jenin, where she was bravely covering the news. Shireen went into places where other journalists wouldn’t dare to cover every aspect of Palestinian information unfolding in Ramallah, Sheikh Jarrah, and most recently, Jenin. In a recent interview, she was quoted as doing what she does because it “brought her closer to her Palestinian people,” where she felt most comfortable.

Shireen today strapped up her blue labeled press gear for one final time to attempt to bring her people’s voice, the Palestinians, to the world as her people were being invaded in the heroic city of Jenin by the Zionist occupation forces. She positioned herself in an area with no Palestinian resistance fighters; there weren’t even civilians in the immediate area. These are measures journalists take to try and stay in the safest options possible, staying out of the fire line even though there were absolutely no armed confrontations at that moment. Suddenly, as her media colleague Ali Sammoudi was shot in the back by deliberate Israeli sniper fire, she yelled for an ambulance to assist him with no one in sight. Her screams to save her journalist colleague exposed her position to more Israeli sniper gunfire being shot precisely underneath her helmet right below the ear, instantly killing her assassination style.

The world must know this deliberate murder is considered a war crime. It was no accident and was very well calculated. Shireen Abu Akleh died as a Palestinian hero while covering Palestine’s news for the final time in 25 years and attempting to save another journalist’s life. Shireen, in your honour, we sign off for you one more time on your last tour of duty: Shireen Abu Akleh, min Jenin, Filasteen al Muhtala (Occupied Palestine). #ShireenAbuAkleh

Attack by Israeli forces on Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral in Jerusalem, May 13, 2022.

(Facebook, May 11, 2022)

TML Daily, posted May 14, 2022.