Palestinian center refuses to rename center
named after terrorist
murderer
- Official Palestinian news agency wrote murderer who led killing of
37 was: "Palestinian resistance fighter
killed by Israel"
- Palestinian center refuses to change the
name because terrorist is a "hero"
- Following PMW's report on the Dalal Mughrabi
Center and Norway's and UN Women's funding, Norway condemned the center's name
and demanded its money be returned
- UN Sec. Gen. also condemned the
terrorist glorifying center
Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques
Zilberdik
This has
not impressed the village council of Burqa, which named the center after the
terrorist who led the murder of 37 in 1978. The head of the village council,
Sami Daghlas, announced to the official PA news agency that they see the
terrorist as a "hero" and refuse to rename the center:
"The
center has no intention of caving in to the pressure and change its name, the
head of village's council, Sami Daghlas, said... He said the name Dalal Mughrabi
was chosen by the villagers to commemorate a Palestinian hero
(emphasis added, Ed.) who sacrificed herself for her country and
therefore they have no intention to change its name regardless of the
price."
[WAFA, official PA news agency, May 30, 2017]
WAFA
described terrorist Mughrabi who hijacked a civilian bus, killing 37
as:
"A
Palestinian resistance fighter killed during a military operation in Israel in
1978."
WAFA
further reported another statement by the head of the village council:
"He
said the people of Burqa do not object to return[ing] the money to Norway, which
he said was only a few thousand dollars used to repair and refurbish the
building, and would never capitulate to pressure and blackmail."
[WAFA, official PA news agency, May 30,
2017]
The
following are the reports on the center's refusal to rename the Dalal Mughrabi
Center:
Headline:
"Dalal Mughrabi women center in Burqa will keep its name, says council
head"
"In
spite of campaigns to stop funding for a woman community center in the West Bank
village of Burqa because it was named after a Palestinian resistance fighter
killed by Israel, the center has no intention of caving in to the pressure and
change its name, the head of village's council, Sami Daghlas, said on
Tuesday.
The
center, Dalal Mughrabi Women Community Center, was established four months ago
with partial funding from Norway and was officially inaugurated three weeks
ago.
Israel
apparently objected to Norway for funding a center named after a Palestinian
resistance fighter killed during a military operation in Israel in
1978.
Norway
succumbed to the Israeli pressure and said it does not want its name put on a
plaque at the center and asked for its money back.
The
United Nations, which apparently funds some programs by the center, has also
decided to stop funding projects planned by the center also following Israeli
pressure.
Daghlas
told WAFA that the center was built to serve and empower young women in the
village and to help them develop themselves and become active members in
society.
He
said the name Dalal Mughrabi was chosen by the villagers to commemorate a
Palestinian hero who sacrificed herself for her country and therefore they have
no intention to change its name regardless of the price.
Daghlas
expressed surprise at the UN and Norway moves saying that they have done this to
satisfy Israel.
'Instead
of fighting a community center that does not exceed 50 square meters in area and
works on serving young women in the community, they should be objecting to
regular attacks by (Israeli) settlers against the village and its people and to
allow farmers to reach their land that was taken away from them in spite of an
Israeli Supreme Court ruling to return this land to its rightful owners,' he
said in a post on his Facebook page.
He
said the people of Burqa do not object to return[ing[ the money to Norway, which
he said was only [a] few thousand dollars used to repair and refurbish the
building, and would never capitulate to pressure and blackmail.
Speaking
earlier on this matter, Ahmad Majdalani, member of the Executive Committee of
the Palestine Liberation Organization, said that Israel glorifies Jewish
terrorists and pays them money and no one objects to that.
He
gave the example of the assassin of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and
other Jewish terrorists convicted of attacking and killing Palestinians and
Israelis who still receive Israeli government stipends through the national
insurance plan."
[WAFA, official PA news agency, May 30,
2017]
Headline:
"Palestinian women's center to keep name despite pressure from UN, Norway"
"Days
after Norway pulled its sponsorship from an occupied West Bank women's community
center and demanded a refund for construction costs from the Palestinian
Authority (PA), with the United Nations (UN) promptly pulling its backing as
well, the center has reportedly said it will not change its name, which the UN
said 'glorifies terrorism.'
The
Dalal al-Mughrabi Women's Community Center -- named after a fighter in the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) who played a role in a 1978 attack that
left over 30 Israelis and 12 Palestinian fighters dead, including al-Mughrabi
herself -- was built in the Nablus-area village of Burqa in the northern West
Bank.
The
center was sponsored by both the UN and the Norwegian government, who provided
partial financial support for the construction of the center, which had remained
nameless until it was officially inaugurated earlier this month.
Official
PA-owned Wafa news agency reported Tuesday that the head of the Burqa village
council, Sami Daghlas, said 'the center has no intention of caving in to the
pressure and changing its name.'
Daghlas
told Wafa that the center was built 'to serve and empower young women in the
village and to help them develop them to become active members in
society.'
According
to Daghlas, the name Dalal al-Mughrabi was chosen by the villagers 'to
commemorate a Palestinian hero who sacrificed herself for her country and
therefore they have no intention to change its name, regardless of the
price.'
'Instead
of fighting a community center that does not exceed 50 square meters in area and
works on serving young women in the community, they should be objecting to
regular attacks by (Israeli) settlers against the village and its people and to
allow farmers to reach their land that was taken away from them,' Daghlas said,
as he expressed his surprise at the actions of the UN and Norway, which he said
were done 'to satisfy Israel.'
The
Times of Israel reported last week that the Norwegian Foreign Minister
had condemned the PA for the name choice of the center, saying 'Norway will not
allow itself to be associated with institutions that take the names of
terrorists in this way,' and demanded that the PA reimburse Norway for the costs
contributed to the center.
In
his interview with Wafa, Daghlas said that the people of Burqa did not object to
returning the money to Norway, which he said 'was only few thousand dollars used
to repair and refurbish the building, and would never capitulate to pressure and
blackmail.'
One
day after Norway's move to pull funding from the center, the UN pulled its
sponsorship from the center, which it called 'offensive.'
'The
United Nations disassociated itself from the Center once it learned the
offensive name chosen for it and will take measures to ensure that such
incidents do not take place in the future,' the Times of Israel said, quoting a
statement from Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres.
'The
glorification of terrorism, or the perpetrators of heinous terrorist acts, is
unacceptable under any circumstances,' the UN statement said, adding that the UN
had requested that the logo of UN Women be removed from the building.
According
to Wafa, Daghlas said that the UN was responsible for funding some projects put
on by the center.
Wafa
also quoted Ahmad Majdalani, member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, as
saying that 'Israel glorifies Jewish terrorists and pays them money and no one
objects to that,' referencing the assassin of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin and other Jewish extremists convicted of attacking and killing
Palestinians and Israelis, who Majdalani said still receive Israeli government
stipends through the national insurance plan."
[Ma'an, independent Palestinian news agency, May
31, 2017]
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