A tribute to the brave journalists of the Arab world

“Everyone’s friend,” was the description that best suited the late Yemeni journalist, Jamal al-Sharaabi (1976-2011). Throughout his short life, he managed to form ties across the cultural and political spectrum in his country despite the norms associated with his affiliation to one of Yemen’s leading religious parties.

A journalism enthusiast from a young age, he graduated college with honors in 2000 and became a professional photojournalist. He rose to prominence during the protests that swept across Yemen during the Arab Spring, and was among the first activists at Sana’a’s Taghyeer Square along with Nobel Prize Laureate Tawakkol Karman and their companions.

Sharaabi nearly suffocated after inhaling internationally banned tear gas used by forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. He died on March 18, 2011 when snipers stormed the square, killing 53 young protesters.

Sharaabi became the first journalist martyred in the Yemeni revolution and was commemorated in a ceremony held at the Yemeni press syndicate following the stepping down of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. His young daughter read a speech, saying: “my father can only be duly honored when his murderers are put on trial.”

According to figures cited by Reporters Without Borders, a total of 31 professional journalists and over 100 citizen journalists have been killed in connection with their work since April 2013 in Syria. Meanwhile, some unofficial estimates suggest that the number has reached 150, including amateur and professional journalists.

Interestingly, not a single one of these journalists has been labeled a “martyr” unanimously.

In a deeply divided society, each group restricts the word “martyr” to journalists covering their own side of the story. Some would justify the killing of opposing journalists and even gloat over their death.

One hundred fifty martyrs and none of them have received a collective moment of silence, nor have they been spared from being included in political rhetoric. Each of these 150 martyrs have their own biography that would represent all journalists in Syria, a country where reporters are transformed from witnesses to martyrs.

Nawras al-Nuaimi (1994-2013) was a promising young Iraqi journalist who started her career in Mosul despite the waves of militant activities hitting the province since 2003. Unfortunately, she was the victim of a heinous crime in the al-Jazaer district of Mosul.

Nuaimi was shot in the head, a crime that angered Iraqi journalists who protested her death all over the country. A media student at Mosul University, Nuaimi worked at Al-Mosuliyah TV station.

Security forces later arrested the gunman who killed her and brought him to her family’s home. Tragically, her mother kissed her daughter’s killer on the head, saying: “true, you are guilty but you also turned my daughter into a bride in paradise. My son, you are ignorant, you can’t even read and write while my daughter spoke two languages.”

What is the future of the Iraqi press when a girl like Nawras is killed and left bleeding on the ground, holding a book that she refused to let go even after her death?

Nassib al-Matni, Salim al-Lawzi, Riad Taha, Soheil Tawileh, Samir Kassir, Assaf Abu Rahal and many others are part of a long list of Lebanese journalists assassinated in connection with their work. About a month ago, they were joined by Al-Manar reporter Hamza al-Hajj Hassan (1984-2014), along with his companions Halim Alou and Mohammed Muntish, who were killed in Maaloula, Syria.

Hamza lost his microphone and his report from Maaloula was never broadcasted.

A field reporter covering events in world capitals, Hamza headed to Syria to report on the crisis hitting the country.

He was also a master’s degree student, preparing a thesis on religious TV stations. Before his death, he was working on a report about the Maydoun battle that erupted between the Resistance and Israeli forces in the late eighties.

Also in the month of April, two years ago, New TV photojournalist Ali Shaaban (1982-2012) sacrificed his life for the sake of his career.

Al-Doustour editor, Mayada Ashraf (1992-2014), is Egypt’s youngest and most recent journalist to be killed since the January 25 revolution in 2011. However, her death is expected to have a long lasting impact on the situation in Egypt.

Mayada was killed during a confrontation between the Muslim Brotherhood and the police. In the past ten years, newspapers had been exploiting young reporters by hiring them without providing them any types of benefits or protection. Following her death about two months ago, Al-Doustour and many other newspapers, along with the Egyptian press syndicate, decided to intervene and protect field reporters during clashes. Since then, young reporters have been quickly admitted to the press syndicate.

Mohammed Fahmi, an Al-Jazeera International correspondent arrested in Cairo, dedicated his Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom Award to Mayada’s family as an acknowledgement of the impact of her death.

Ahmed Ismail (1990-2012), a Bahraini citizen, was shot dead while taking photos at a protest in Salmabad village on March 31, 2012. Ahmed, a young citizen journalist, was among protesters documenting events related to the February 13 revolution. He posted his photos online and sent some to foreign human rights organizations.

He was given the nickname “mercury” as he was always in rush, moving fast to catch the best shot to share with the world pictures of the revolution taking place in his small country.

This young man insisted on covering the protests sweeping the small island since February 2011. The night of his death, his camera disappeared and his photos were never to bee seen, while his killers remain unknown.

During the opening of the Washington news museum, Newseum, Ahmed Ismail’s name was posted on a large mural commemorating journalists who fell in 2012. Ahmed’s father attended the ceremony, holding a camera that he inherited from his son.

Today in Bahrain, it is a father who is inheriting his son’s legacy.

Ahmed’s father chose to continue his mission. Today, he is covering protests and violations that his son can no longer document. As he carries a photo of his son during a protest, it appears as if Ahmed has never left the crowd.

Every era has its heroes, and Palestinian journalist Aziz Yousef al-Taneh (1968-2000) was the hero of the al-Aqsa Intifada. He was among the first journalists who fell while covering events during the uprising that erupted on September 28, 2000.

The story of Aziz, a reporter shot dead by Israeli soldiers in Bethlehem on October 19, 2000, is quite similar to the stories of martyrdom of other fellow brave journalists who sacrificed their lives to tell the world about the struggle of their people.

He lived in Gaza and then moved to Bethlehem to work as the director of the Palestinian news agency, Wafa. He was later buried in Jordan.

Aziz’s epic life and death is only an example of the martyrdom of hundreds of other Palestinian journalists killed since the al-Aqsa Intifada. But maybe they weren’t planning to get married in 20 days, like in Aziz’s case.

The Israeli occupation forces continue to arrest, terrorize, and murder Palestinian journalists. Most recently, Israeli occupation forces used tear gas and sound bombs to disperse a journalists’ protest near the Baytin checkpoint northeast of Ramallah on World Press Freedom Day.

Also, the Palestinian press syndicate refrains from intervening when local authorities threaten journalists. In fact, following the 2007 Gaza clashes between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, crackdowns on journalists have escalated.

Hamas banned Al-Quds and Al-Ayam newspapers as well as the official Palestinian Authority TV station in Gaza, while the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah banned Hamas affiliated newspapers Al-Rissala and Manbar al-Islah, as well as Al-Aqsa Radio and TV in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Palestinian journalists continue to challenge oppression.

 River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian