A striking example of the glorification of mothers of terrorists is the case of Um Nidal, who has recently been chosen to be a candidate on the Hamas list in the upcoming Palestinian Authority parliamentary elections.
Um Nidal, who appears at right in an image from the Hamas website honoring the mothers of suicide terrorists, participated in a farewell ceremony in which she sent her 17-year-old son to die through terror, "ordering him not to return except as a shahid [martyr for Allah]." In an interview recorded after her son murdered five Israeli teenagers in a suicide mission, she explained that it was a mother's love for her son that motivated her to be joyous over his Shahada death. Um Nidal's parting ceremony and interview were filmed, and turned Um Nidal into a heroine and role model in Palestinian society.
To get a sense of the status in Palestinian Autority society of mothers who send their sons to die, note the way that even a self-proclaimed moderate like Sari Nusseibeh, president of Al-Quds University, addressed her during an interview.
Um Nidal (explaining why she sent her son to die): "My son is not dearer than Islam. I have offered him as a gift and a sacrifice to Allah, may he be glorified, and to His true faith...."
Sari Nusseibeh: "What comes to mind as I listen to sister Um Nidal is the verse 'Paradise is under the feet of the mothers'. Praise is due to this woman, and to every Palestinian mother..."
Al-Jazeera, July 14, 2002,
Um Nidal didn't stop at one son. She has proudly sent three of her sons to their death as terrorist shahids. Palestinian society has responded by dubbing her the "Al-Khansah of Palestine (see also http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/am/publish/article_15771.shtml). Al-Khansa is a a heroic figure from Islamic history who is glorified and revered solely for celebrating the deaths of her four shahid sons. The PA has underscored the importance of joyfully sacrificing sons for Allah in many different ways, including by naming five girls' schools - in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Khan Yunis and Rafah - after Al-Khansah, sending a clear message to young and impressionable girls about their future role as the mothers of shahids. Al-Khansah was also honored in the Palestinian Authority's recognition of International Women's Day in the form of a televised play and official sermon.
Because of her status as a role model, Um Nidal is once again in the news. She has been chosen to be a candidate on the Hamas list in the upcoming Palestinian Authority parliamentary elections. It is striking, and indicative of the very nature of Palestinian society as one that accepts and values terror as a way of life, that a woman could be chosen to be a legislator solely by virtue of her celebration of her son's terrorism and death.
To see two current Hamas election videos that give prominence to Um Nidal, and the video from Palestinian Media Watch archives of her sending her 17-year-old son to his death, as well as her interview after his suicide terror attack, click:
http://www.pmw.org.il/asx/um_nidal.asx
source: Palestinian Media Watch
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