Author: Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook
Publication: Palestinian Media Watch
Date: March 15, 2007
URL: http://pmw.org.il/bulletins_mar2007.htm#b150307
In an open challenge to Palestinian leadership,
Dr. Nadir Sa'id of Bir Zeit University condemned the violence in Palestinian
society and placed the blame on the political and religious leaders. He blamed
both Fatah and Hamas, including the Prime Minister and others ministers, for
hundreds of killings. He condemned some Imams who preach the killing of women
and beating of children. He criticized these actions, as well as the hate
incitement that has created a Palestinian society permeated with violence.
Children have learned that the use of violence achieves power and influence.
This self-criticism is rare in the PA media.
If it continues, this is a positive development.
The following are some of Sa'id's criticisms
by topic, followed by an extended transcript.
Dr. Nadir Sa'id, director of Development Studies
at Bir Zeit University:
About Palestinian children:
"The message to Palestinian children
is that if you use violence...you can achieve influence and you can achieve
rule."
"A whole generation was raised on the
denial of the 'other' and erasing him completely, and to the possibility of
killing him without any restraint or problem."
About Incitement against women and others:
"There are Imams who incite to killing:
killing of women, beating children, killing the 'other.'"
"What happened in Palestine in the last
years is speech incitement of the highest degree. Violence speech of the highest
degree in mosques, and occasionally in the media, from many politicians."
"There is no denying that crime, in general,
needs environmental conditions, and especially environmental conditions of
violence and environmental conditions of incitement speech."
About Palestinian Violence:
"There is a kind of conspiracy not to
punish the criminals. Hundreds of Palestinians were killed in the recent struggle
between Fatah and Hamas
Who will punish those who gave the orders? Who
will punish those who committed [the crimes]? Who will punish the people who
remained silent...?"
About Palestinian Authority leadership:
"The next government [of Hamas with Fatah]
is
a crime against Palestinian society."
"The prime minister and many of the ministers
and security apparatuses are the ones who eased and facilitated
the killing
of hundreds of Palestinians."
"Who will punish those who caused the
killing of these children, these women, these men
this is a political
crime of the highest level."
The following are selections from the interview
with Dr. Sa'id:
"The last months in particular proved
without a doubt the existence of political crime [in Palestinian society],
and it is related to the attempt to achieve a high level of power, control
and influence
The political struggle for rule. One of the primary and
clear forms, which draws attention, having powerful and clear influence, and
which caused hundreds of deaths, is clearly the crimes committed in the struggle
for influence in the [Palestinian] Authority. But there are other types, including
the attempt to threaten opposition, threaten those who disagree
What is important regarding political crime,
and especially in the Palestinian situation, is that there is a kind of conspiracy
not to punish the criminals. This is the big problem. Hundreds of Palestinians
were killed in the recent struggle between Fatah and Hamas. First: Who will
punish those who facilitated these violent environmental conditions? Who will
punish those who gave the orders? Who will punish those who committed [the
crimes]? Who will punish the people who remained silent and did not hesitate
to justify this type of violence?
What we see now, and this is the basic problem
in the culture regarding the culture of violence, is that what has happened,
he who killed here and there, is now appointed as a minister in the [Palestinian]
National Authority. That is, it is a clear message.
The message to Palestinian children is that
if you use violence and succeed in benefiting from it in the political struggle,
you can achieve influence and you can achieve rule. In my opinion, the next
government, and in particular between the two parties competing in its establishment,
is, in my opinion, a crime against Palestinian society, especially when the
prime minister and many of the ministers and security apparatuses are the
ones who eased and facilitated - in addition to the Imams of the mosques,
and the preachers and others - who eased and facilitated the killing of hundreds
of Palestinians.
Who will punish those who caused, directly
and indirectly, the killing of these children, these women, these men who
have no guilt in this struggle? This is, in my opinion, a political crime
of the highest level."
There is no denying that crime, in general,
needs environmental conditions, and especially environmental conditions of
violence and environmental conditions of incitement speech. What happened
in Palestine in the last years is speech incitement of the highest degree.
Violence speech of the highest degree in mosques, and occasionally in the
media, from many politicians... If we examine the sermons in mosques, we find
many of them, not all - on the contrary! There are a number of Imams who promote
social peace - but there are Imams who incite to killing: killing of women,
beating children, killing the "other", rejection of the "other's"
opinion. A whole generation was raised on the denial of the "other"
and erasing him completely, and to the possibility of killing him without
any restraint or problem."