Tibi: Nothing's more praiseworthy than martyrdom

In remarks at PA event honoring Palestinian martyrs, MK describes martyrs as "symbols of the homeland."

By JPOST.COM STAFF, LAHAV HARKOV
MK Ahmed Tibi at PA event 311 (photo credit: Courtesy of PMW)
MK Ahmed Tibi at PA event 311
(photo credit: Courtesy of PMW)
A video purportedly shot at a Palestinian Authority event honoring Palestinian martyrs last week shows MK Ahmed Tibi (UAL-Ta'al) saying that "there is no greater source of praise" than martyrdom.
While the word martyr in Arabic means to die in the name of God, in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict it has come to be associated with suicide bombers and terrorists who are killed while attacking Israel.
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In the video released by the Palestinian Media Watch NGO Wednesday, Tibi says that "in the history of nations and their conflicts, the martyr is the ultimate source of pride." The martyr, he added, is "the symbol of the homeland."
Tibi went on to congratulate Palestinian martyrs in the territories and inside Israel, as well as overseas. Referring to Israelis as "those who occupy and murder," Tibi asserted that for Palestinians, "there is nothing more praiseworthy than those who die for the homeland."
When questioned about the video, Tibi cited "Israeli ignorance" about the concept of a martyr in Islam. According to the MK, a shaheed (martyr) is one who was "killed by the occupation" or died for a national cause. He added that being a martyr is praiseworthy, because it means sacrificing for the Palestinian homeland.
Following the publication of Tibi's remarks in the Israeli media, MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) wrote a letter to Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein, asking him to put the UAL-Ta'al MK on trial.
"Your office has not hesitated to prosecute right-wing activists for less severe speeches," Ben-Ari said. "The time has come to stop Tibi's party."