Wednesday 23 December 2015

Samir al-Quntar, the Lover of Palestine… “Om Jabr” Tells “al-Ahed” Stories of her Hero


Occupied Palestine

In 1985, the relationship between the mother of prisoner Jabr Wishah', who was under life imprisonment, and the martyr prisoner Samir al-Quntar, was born behind the cells of the "Nafh'a" Zionist detention camp.


Samir al-Quntar, the Lover of Palestine… “Om Jabr” Tells “al-Ahed” Stories of her Hero

Hajje Handoume was watching a conversation between a young man who was asking a woman, calling her "Aunt", not to come and visit him again, when she wondered about the issue. She asked al-Quntar about it, then he told her that she is not his aunt. She was a mother of a freed prisoner, and she doesn't have to carry his burden anymore. At that moment, "Om Jabr" decided to adopt this young man, assuring the other mother that she will keep on visiting Samir.

After nearly 15 years on that day in 1999, Jabr was released from prison in an exchange deal, during which Samir asked Hajje "Om Jabr" to stop visiting him. However, she strictly refused and visited him four times before the occupation forces banned her. However, she was able to obtain a judgement to visit him several times before she was banned again by the occupation.

"Om Jabr", who cried over Samir terribly as she learned of his martyrdom, told the "al-Ahed" correspondent: "I knew that the end of his life will be in martyrdom, he is one of the people who don't change their positions... the news was tragic for me, and for every person who knew him. But I thank Allah for everything, he is a resistance man who granted his life for liberating Palestine since he was 16."

The sorrowed mother noted that she dreamed of Samir three nights before his martyrdom, as he laid down in front of her eyes. She remained worried until she was shocked by the news of his martyrdom.

She further added: "He had always been repeating: I left Palestine to return to Palestine."
"Om Jabr" held a mourning ceremony in the al-Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, in which she was also receiving congratulations for the martyrdom of her adopted son.

The woman recalled the many visits she made for Samir inside the prison, and his words to her. She said: "during every visit he had shaved his beard, raised his head as if he is not imprisoned, he looked like a university student, with high morale. We used to talk about my four imprisoned sons: Jabr in Nafh'a, Bassem in Shatta, Diyab in ‘Askalan and Yasser in ‘Ansar. He used to ask me not to visit him again as he sympathized with me. But I used to tell him "they are on the way of honor and dignity, and so are you my son.""

"Om Jabr" talked about the moment her son was released, stressing that her first question was about Samir and that she wished he was released before her son, and that if she had to choose between them both she would have chosen the release of Samir first.

His Life in Prison

Freed prisoner Mahmoud az-Ziqq is one of the many people who met Samir inside the occupation prisons.

Az-Ziqq asserted that al-Quntar had good relations with all prisoners, and from all Palestinian organizations, saying that: "al-Quntar surpassed sectarianism and regional borders, he was a Lebanese commando for Palestine."

"He loved knowledge, I taught him Hebrew during a very short time, and he used to follow Hebrew media, and was keen to read the newspapers we received."

Recalling the most difficult positions they had to face, az-Ziqq said: "In 1985, when the Popular Front-General Leadership was finishing an exchange deal, "Israel" rejected 36 names, whereby Samir and I were from the list. Difficult negotiations took place, sponsored by the Austrian chancellor, and the deal was delayed for a whole month. Negotiations ended with a middle-solution that stipulated the release of 18 detainees while keeping the rest. I was one of those who were released while Samir remained imprisoned. However, he farewelled us with a smile, and full trust that he will be freed someday."

Communications with al-Quntar didn't stop, and they met in Algeria in 2010, noting that he found him as he was, a limitless revolutionary who knows his way towards Palestine.

His Lovers

Among thousands of those who offered condolences in Gaza, the Palestinian Khamis al-Majdalawi seemed very sad as he was one of those who were keen during Samir's imprisonment to carry his photo in rallies calling for the release of the detainees.

Al-Majdalawi arrived at the Red Cross headquarters carrying Samir's photo, stressing that the photo of he who crossed seas and borders to fight for Palestine must be raised when he is imprisoned until his release. And today, it is the duty of every Palestinian to carry his photo as he has been martyred, as a minimum offering for this stubborn fighter who loved Palestine with all his heart.

Rallies and protests were staged in several areas in occupied Palestine in condemnation of the crime of assassinating al-Quntar, amid assurances that he is one of the great martyrs of the nation whose killing will not make him absent.

Source: al-Ahed News, Translated by website team
23-12-2015 | 09:13

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