11 year old, Saraa Barhoum, Hamas TV's child star says she's ready for martyrdom. The star of Hamas television's most famous children's show, "Tomorrow's Pioneers". The very same Hamas television children's show that brought us the ‘militant Mickey Mouse look-alike’, Farfour, that was killed by an Israeli interrogator. Saraa said she was ready to be a martyr, although in her interview she gave no indication of how she would be willing to enter into martyrdom.[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/m3vGDmdEP_0" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
Colorful backgrounds and cartoon images, do not take away from the adult content that is aired on Hamas children's television. While the image of a Mickey Mouse look alike, may have shocked many, the message of martyrdom isn't new on Hamas Children's shows, nor is it new in the Israeli – Palestinian conflict. Farfour, was quickly replaced with, Nahoul the Bee, who has not only showed children the road to martyrdom, but cruelty to animals. Although in the segment, below, with Nahoul the Bee, was somewhat scolded on the show by Saraa, for his actions, the episode used to be an example to illustrate Jewish behaviors, and place Palestinian behavior as superior.
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One cannot condone in any manner, the use of animal cruelty, to teach children any lesson. However the real debate over Hamas TV shows, such as "Tomorrow's Pioneers", is the teaching of martyrdom and racism. Regardless of your side on the historical or political issues of the conflict, the use of children for political propaganda is completely unacceptable, regardless of whether it is coming from the Jewish or Palestinian side.
Nahool: "You and we will liberate the sad Al-Aqsa that is waiting for us. Yes, we will liberate Al-Aqsa from the filth of the criminal Jews, who killed my grandfather, and killed Farfur, and history will bear witness to that" ("Jihad Bee" Calls for Child Martyrs on Hamas TV)
Children are already influenced by their parents, family members and friends, in the ways of Jihad, and now with cartoons and other children promoting martyrdom, are children only being led down one path? Children are truly little sponges, who absorb all that is said and enacted around them, if hate is all they see and hear, then hate is all they will know. A large portion of todays Palestinian youth are being raised to hate, kill and die, leaving a future generation of adults with little to look forward to.
Article 17 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, “States Parties recognize the important function performed by the mass media and shall ensure that the child has access to information and material from a diversity of national and international sources, especially those aimed at the promotion of his or her social, spiritual and moral well-being and physical and mental health.”
This includes To this end, States Parties shall:
(a) Encourage the mass media to disseminate information and material of social and cultural benefit to the child and in accordance with the spirit of article 29;
(e) Encourage the development of appropriate guidelines for the protection of the child from information and material injurious to his or her well-being, bearing in mind the provisions of articles 13 and 18.
It is a clear that the use of harmful cartoon messages, and children to promote martyrdom, is a clear violation of a child's human rights. The Palestinian Authority and the international community must crack down on such abuses of children. As for Saraa Barhoum, we can only hope that her role in promoting other children to give their lives in the name of Palestine, comes to an end, as does her desire to follow the path of a martyr. Children are not the weapons of war, but the hope of the future, and we must work as an international community to ensure they remain as such.
