This Ongoing War: A Blog: 27-May-14: What They Don't Tell You, Chapter 94

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

27-May-14: What They Don't Tell You, Chapter 94

The way the news media can and do manipulate events in this highly charged neighbourhood is illustrated in this tiny vignette.

A report currently appearing on the website of the Bethlehem-based widely-read and influential Ma'an News Agency, reads in its entirety:

Man killed in Gaza explosion
Published yesterday (updated) 26/05/2014 10:44
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) - A Palestinian man was killed Monday in an explosion in the northern Gaza Strip, Gaza health officials said. Nizar Said Issa, 25, was killed by a blast in Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern camp, Ashraf al-Qidra said, without providing further details. The incident is being investigated by police.

"Man killed". Can't argue with that. Sad story, another victim of the occupation etc. But who was he? Why was he killed? Who killed him?

There's some relevant background at Times of Israel:

An Islamic Jihad operative died Monday morning apparently while handling explosives at the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Nizar Said Issa, 25, was active in the terrorist organization’s military wing and was working with explosives at the time of the accident, according to [Israel's] Channel 2. He was evacuated to Kamal Hospital in Beit Lehia, where he died of his wounds.

This was not the first PIJ work accident of the week:

On Saturday two Islamic Jihad members were killed, and at least two more injured, during a training accident in the southern Gaza Strip. [Times of Israel]

In fact, the coyness of the editors at the European-funded Ma'an News Agency notwithstanding, Nizar Said Issa, his short career and his dedication to terrorism are all over the Arabic language news media today. His funeral was a major event:

Image Source: Mashreq News. The Arabic caption means
"The funeral of the martyr Nizar Issa, Al-Quds Brigades"

This Arabic-language site says "thousands of citizens and supporters of the Islamic Jihad movement and its leadership" attended the funeral of Nizar Said Issa whose death came from an "internal explosion" and who thereby became reclassified as a "martyr". Paltimes, in Arabic only, has an online album of snapshots taken at the huge funeral along with quotations from the eulogies.

Two possible explanations suggest themselves. One: At Ma'an, they don't read Arabic. Two: terrorism, while celebrated throughout Arabic-speaking Palestinian Arab circles, needs to be hidden from non-Arabic onlookers to the greatest extent possible.

We're wondering about something else. Consistent with their recent call for the Christian faithful to respect the 'dignity' of convicted and unrepentant Palestinian Arab murderers of children and of other innocents, will the World Council of Churches' Geneva-based leadership be eulogizing this young man who failed to reach the ranks of prisoners though not for lack of trying?

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