Palestinian fathers criticize Jihad for sons' martyrdom
Bethlehem (AsiaNews/agencies) The parents of suicide bombers are often unaware that their children are preparing to become human bombs. Often they only receive a farewell letter or video cassette in which their son or daughter attempts to justify the unjustifiable. Meanwhile respect for the Islamic Jihad is dwindling.
Yussef Geara's life is now filled with feelings of guilt and anger toward such deranged acts of violence. Last Jan. 30 his son, Ali, decided to blow himself up in Jerusalem, killing 10 innocent Israelis at a site not too far from Prime Minister's Ariel Sharon' residence. "It is wrong to carry out suicide attacks against civilians and soldiers. Conflicts are not resolved in this way. There is a need to return to (peace) negotiations," Ali's embittered father said.
Yussef Geara says he was in the dark about his son's intentions, otherwise "I wouldn't have stopped him" he added.
Israeli forces came to his home and told him that his house would be knocked down. His son's suicide bombing had already caused him heart problems. Meanwhile the walls of the Aida Palestinian camp are plastered with posters of his son "Ali the Martyr", but Yussef cannot bear to look at them. "I can't sleep at night. I am having nightmares," he said.
These days Yussef is sleeping in a tent, just like when he was a child living in Jordan refugee camps. "This problem cannot be solved by detonating bombs," he says. And what causes him the most grief is that no one wants to listen to him.
Mohammed Abu Mahsen, the father of a 13 year-old boy enrolled as an Islamic Jihad militant, is filled with the same grief. Yet he is grateful to Israeli soldiers who arrested his son before he could carry out any suicide bombing. "The enemy saved my son's life," he says constantly to friends and relatives. "I'm happy he was arrested and not killed."
Abu Mahsen, age 39, condemns Islamic Jihad leaders. "I haven't raised my son for 13 years just to lose him in an instant," he said. And referring to Jihad leaders he added: "You go and kill yourselves or send us your sons or brothers (to do the same thing)." Abu Muhsen says that for years he kept his son from watching the news on TV and had always instilled in him his belief against killing other human beings.
These amounted to useless precautions, after he found a farewell letter in which his son explained his motives: "I want to carry out the attack against Sharon's wall."
Abu Mahsen's 13 year-old son, Tarek, together with 2 other boys, Jaffer Hussein (13) and Ibrahim Sawasta (14), were arrested as their bodies were found lined with explosives while on their way to "get back at the wall", according to Israeli police officers. The three teenagers are now in jail awaiting trial. (PB)
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08/04/2022 20:01
28/07/2021 09:19
