In Memory of Shireen Abu Akleh

"لَيْس سَهْلًا رُبَّمَا أَن أغيّر الْوَاقِع ، لَكِنَّنِي عَلَى الْأَقَلِّ كُنْت قَادِرَةً عَلَى إيصَالِ ذَلِكَ الصَّوْتِ إلَى الْعَالِمِ."

A quote by Shireen Abu Akleh, Allah yerhama, that roughly translates to: “It might not be easy to change reality but at least I was able to bring their (the people's) voices to the world."

Shireen, a Palestinian-American journalist, was fatally shot by the Israeli military at the entrance of Jenin Refugee Camp on May 11th of this year in spite of the fact that she and her colleagues were wearing helmets and bulletproof vests marked "Press." Residents of the Jenin Refugee Camp subsequently tried to evacuate Shireen as soon as possible, where they were met again with live fire. Once they arrived at the hospital, Shireen was pronounced dead. The State of Israel immediately denied any responsibility of the murder and claimed that she was instead shot by a Palestinian - several investigations by human rights organizations proved this not to be true and confirmed it was a member of the Israeli Occupation Forces. The United States also issued a statement that gaslighted the truth of the everyday reality for Palestinians on the ground, including journalists, and focused on intentionality rather than addressing the systematic oppression constructed and perpetuated by the State of Israel against Palestinians.

Dima Srouji, an architect and artist, wrote that Shireen was "A messenger, our collective tongue and vocal cords, [she] spoke with a cadence that is deeply embedded in our bodies. Immediately after she was killed, an entire generation relived the experience of listening to her speak, of hearing her words during one of the most traumatic moments - and seemingly never-ending and compounding experiences - in our history."

Shireen was taken too soon from this world and from the work for Palestinian Liberation, may she rest in power. And may Israeli Occupation and Apartheid end.

Pictured is Shireen's quote at the demolished home of the Rajibi family in the Ayin a-Loza neighborhood of Silwan. Our team painted several iconic Palestinian figures at the site including Shireen Abu Akleh, Naji al-Ali, Nizar Banat, Ghassan Kanafani, Fadwa Tuqan and Mahmoud Darwish.

sources: B'Tselem and +972 Magazine.