Touch the dead ‘martyr’ ... and brag to your friends about it

“Touching a martyr” is worth street credit if you’re a kid in the Palestinian Authority. Kids want to touch the dead body so they can “brag to their friends” about it, according to the official P.A. daily.

Referring to the “images that remain” when “parting from the martyrs,” the paper described: “A boy is hanging out the window of a room and watching the parting from the martyr. ... He comes out quickly and tries to touch the head of the martyr. He wants to reach the glory in order to brag to his friends that he touched a martyr ... ” [Official P.A. daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 2, 2018]

Palestinian Media Watch has reported in the past on this cult-like behavior towards “martyrs,” which the Palestinian Authority promotes and glorifies.

Not only does the “martyr’s” “glory” rub off on you if you touch him, but the martyr is also believed to be “a groom” on his way to his wedding to the 72 Virgins in Paradise: “When the body of the martyr reached his home, his closest friend Ata looked for the martyr’s mother and shouted: ‘We have brought you the groom; we have brought you the groom.’ ” [Official P.A. daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Oct. 2, 2018]

According to Islamic belief, a “martyr” marries 72 Dark-Eyed Virgins in Paradise. Therefore a “martyr’s” funeral is considered a “wedding.” Palestinian religious leaders have repeatedly explained that becoming a “martyr” represents the highest achievement that can be attained by a Muslim.

This cult-like martyr worship by the P.A. has been going on for years. Palestinian children were taught to glorify martyrs (shahids) during the P.A.’s five-year terror campaign (the second Intifada, 2000-05). The P.A. reported at the time that the children would play “the shahid game” and argue over who gets to play the best part and die as a “martyr”: “A 7-year-old girl says to her friends: ‘Let’s play the shahid (martyr) game!’ The children ... argue who will play the shahid. Fa’iz, 6 years old, says: ‘You were the shahid yesterday. Today, it’s my turn! I’m younger than you. I’ll be the one to die!’ ” [Official P.A. daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Dec. 26, 2001] Read full PMW report here.