Tragedy of Al Jazeera reporter who inspired Hull journalist’s career
AMINA SADIK IS A HULL DAILY MAIL JOURNALIST
AS a child my dream was to become a journalist and one day report from Palestine.
I have always kept myself up to date with the Palestinian conflict and find it very difficult to understand why it is still happening and why innocent lives are still being taken away today.
Shireen Abu Akleh was a Palestinian – American journalist who worked for Al Jazeera news for 25 years. She was a leading journalist in the Arab world and spent most of her career reporting on major Palestinian events as well as analysing Israeli politics.
Tragically, Shireen was shot in the head by Israeli militants earlier this month in the west bank town Jenin, while wearing her press jacket and helmet. She was reporting on Israeli army raids.
The Al Jazeera reporter was rushed to hospital with critical injuries, but was later pronounced dead. Shireen’s death was a shock to many. She had touched so many people’s lives and the way she was killed burns my heart.
Shireen inspired me in so many ways and was one of the reasons I decided to become a journalist. The way she reported on the situation and the great courage she showed is something I will never forget.
The news of her death really hit home and me and my family were left heartbroken.
Many Palestinians attended her funeral and thousands of people posted about her on social media.
The Qatar-based broadcaster said she was shot “deliberately” and “in cold blood” by Israeli troops while wearing a press vest and helmet. Al Jazeera said in a statement that “the Israeli occupation forces assassinated in cold blood Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Palestine”.
The fact that she was wearing her press suit frightens me as she was only doing her job.
Living in the 21 st century as a journalist should be much safer for us. Many journalists across the world have found themselves in danger while just doing their job.
My cousin was shot in the leg while reporting in Gaza in 2018. He was wearing his press jacket, which was very clear. He had his whole life ahead of him which was ruined within seconds.
As a Palestinian living in the UK, I have found the only way I can help Palestine is to raise awareness on the situation which I spent most of my youth doing. I felt many people did not know about Palestine as a country - never mind the politics.
The politics side is very complicated but the Palestinian culture and humanity in my eyes are very simple and not hard to understand that every life matters. I am thankful that everyone in Hull has been very understanding while I’ve tried to raise awareness from a young age.
Many demonstrations have taken place throughout the years in Hull and I was amazed by the number of people who used to turn up to show their support.
I remember when I was little I would always pretend I was reporting for Al Jazeera news and say “this was Amina Sadik, Al Jazeera, Palestine”’ But I feel this dream has now been shattered and is no longer possible as Shireen is not the first journalist to have been killed or injured.
I have been to Palestine, Gaza many times to visit family. People were always shocked as to why my family would take us there on “holiday” and they would only understand when I showed them pictures and videos - many were astounded at how different it looked to the pictures that were shown in the news.
I have always wanted to show the different sides to Palestine. There’s the conflict side and then there’s the everyday life in Palestine, people just getting on with their lives as the conflict happens.
Shireen was fighting for the truth while she was alive and was fighting while she lay in her coffin. It is frustrating to see how the Israeli troops refused to allow the Palestinian people bury her in peace.
The situation in Palestine at the moment is still very difficult. Watching the Palestinians as a nation suffer on a daily basis is very hard for me. My family back home always tell me that they make the most of everyday life as they are not guaranteed to live tomorrow and this scares me the most.
I think many people need to see the humanity side to the Palestinian case and this is what Shireen tried to show.
Another Palestinian journalist, Ali Al Samoudi, working for the Jerusalem-based Al-quds newspaper, was wounded but in stable condition, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Samudi later said no Palestinian fighters were nearby, stressing that otherwise “we would not have gone into the area”.
The Palestinian press fight to raise awareness about the situation. However, it is heartbreaking to hear that another journalist has died or was injured only because they were reporting about the Palestinian cause.
I hope Shireen’s death is an eye-opener to the world as she truly was an amazing passionate journalist who was known by many and will never be forgotten. As a Palestinian journalist myself I will forever look up to all the hard work she did. In my eyes she is a hero who tried to spread the truth.
Even though there are always two sides to a story one cannot deny that too many innocent lives have been taken. It breaks my heart to see Palestinians suffer for just being born there. I hope one day there will be peace.