For peace, for justice, for Mohammed Omer
As we fight our battles in Zimbabwe, let us remember that the fight for justice is universal. Here is a letter I just received from a young Palestinian journalist who was recently beaten up by Israeli security officers. Mohammed, our prayers are with you.
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Mohammed Omer
By Mohammed Omer
I am a Palestinian journalist from Gaza. At the age of 17, I armed myself with a camera and a pen, committed to report accurately on events in Gaza. I have filed reports as Israeli fighter jets bombed Gaza City. I have interviewed mothers as they watched their children die in hospitals unequipped to serve them because of Israel’s embargo. I have been recognized for my reporting, even in the United States and United Kingdom, where I have won two international awards. I have also been beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers.
This summer, at age 24, I was honored to learn that I had become the youngest journalist to receive the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism, named for the famed American war reporter and awarded to journalists who counter propaganda with the truth. Although Israel has sealed Gaza’s 1.5 million Palestinians in what many now call the world’s largest open-air prison, Dutch MP Hans Van Baalen lobbied the Israeli government to let me leave Gaza to receive my award in person.
Upon my return from London, I was surrounded by Israeli security officers. Read more
