Bassel al-Araj
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| Bassel al-Araj | |
|---|---|
| Born | al-Walaja, Palestine |
| (aged 33) (aged 33) | |
| 🏡 Residence | Ramallah, Palestine |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Palestinian |
| Other names | "The Educated Martyr" |
| 💼 Occupation | Pharmacist |
Bassel al-Araj (died باسل الأعرج) (2017) was a Palestinian activist, author and pharmacist. He was a graduate of an Egyptian university and was known for his writings about revolution and resistance to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.[1] He was killed by the Israeli military force on March 6, 2017, in a two-hour gunfight.[2] He is known as "the educated martyr" among some Palestinian activists.[3]
Biography
Al-Araj was born in al-Walaja, a Palestinian village near Bethlehem.[4] He worked as a pharmacist and organized educational activities and lectures in which he narrated experiences of Palestinian resistance in tours of Palestinian landmarks.[5] Along with five others, al-Araj was arrested by the Palestinian Authority in 2016 and charged with planning armed attacks against Israel.[6][4] Having been tortured during their imprisonment, al-Araj the others began a hunger strike that lasted nine days. Popular support for the men swelled, and the Palestinian courts ordered their release on bail of 500 Jordanian dinars.[7][8] Subsequently, al-Araj was tracked by Israeli forces, with his family's home in al-Walaja raided repeatedly.[8][4]
Death
During their imprisonment in the PA-administered Beitunia prison, al-Araj and his companions were subject to torture and mistreatment, leading them to commence a hunger strike in demand of their freedom.[8] During their nine-day hunger strike, al-Araj published a single sentence via his lawyer,[9] "The da`i and the son of the da`i (one whose parents are unknown but someone claims him as his son) has required us to choose one of two: a basket of gains or humiliation. Far away we are from accepting humiliation"[10] (Arabic: ألا إن الدعيّ بن الدعيّ قد ركز بين اثنتين، بين السّلة والذلّة.. وهيهات منّا الذلّة), a saying attributed to Husayn ibn Ali. After their release from prison, Israeli occupation forces arrested several of the group, and al-Araj went into hiding for two months. Israeli occupation forces repeatedly served warrants authorizing them to search his family's home and properties. The IDF located him on March 6, 2017 and surrounded him in an apartment near the Qaddura refugee camp in al-Bireh.[2] He engaged the Israeli forces in a two-hour gunfight, during which the IDF reportedly fired an ENERGA anti-tank rifle grenade, resulting in the partial destruction of the building. Israeli forces reportedly stormed the building and executed al-Araj after his ammunition was depleted,[2] although Israeli reports state that al-Araj opened fire after IDF troops were already in the building.[11] Palestinian reports note that Israeli forces removed al-Araj's corpse from the building by dragging him by his feet.[12][13] Israeli forces refused to turn over al-Araj's body, and elements of the PA reportedly informed al-Araj's family that occupation forces would deliver his body on the condition that his family move the location of his funeral from al-Walaja to another area, due to al-Walaja's proximity to Israeli settlements.
In a handwritten letter published posthumously, al-Araj appeared to predict his own death and placed it within the context of the struggle for Palestinian liberation.[14]
In November 2018, Dar Rabal, a Palestinian publisher in Jerusalem, published the full works of al-Araj. The book's title, وجدت أجوبتي, was taken from the last letter he wrote prior to his death.[15]
References
- ↑ Well known Palestinian activist Basil Al-Araj killed by Israeli forces in home raid
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Basil al-Araj assassinated by Israeli occupation forces after PA imprisonment and months in hiding
- ↑ Arabs mourn ‘hipster terrorist’ killed in shootout
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "عامان على استشهاد باسل الأعرج.. المثقف المشتبك الذي وجد أجوبته". الجزيرة مباشر (in العربية). 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
- ↑ Videos of al-Araj on one of his educational tours of Palestinian landmarks, published by the Arabi21 network (Arabic)
- ↑ "Basil al-Araj: Police break up protest over court case". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ↑ Muhammad Obeidat (2016-09-08). "قرار بالإفراج عن الشبان الفلسطينيين الستة من سجون السلطة". Al Araby Al Jadeed (in العربية).
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Tahhan, Zena (2017-03-07). "'Basil al-Araj was a beacon for Palestinian youth'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Al-Husain: Lessons of a Lifetime English translation
- ↑ PALESTINIAN SUSPECTED OF PLANNING ATTACKS ON ISRAEL KILLED IN GUNFIGHT WITH IDF, Jerusalem Post
- ↑ Palestinian activist 'executed' by Israeli forces after 2-hour shoot-out, Maan news
- ↑ http://www.arab48.com/%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/2017/03/06/%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84-
- ↑ In final letter, slain Palestinian activist Basel al-Araj ponders looming death, Maan news
- ↑ "أعمال الشهيد المقدسي باسل الأعرج في كتاب". الجزيرة نت (in العربية). 2018-03-11. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
External links
- Al-Araj's posthumously published will
- A series of blog postings written by al-Araj and published by the Palestinian Quds News Network (Arabic)
- Video Videos of al-Araj on one of his educational tours of Palestinian landmarks, published by the Arabi21 network (Arabic)
This page was moved from wikipedia:en:Bassel al-Araj. It's edit history can be viewed at Bassel al-Araj/edithistory
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