Dear Friends,

I am saddened to report that Shaden Abu Hijleh, a school teacher, a social justice activist, and mother to my sister-in-law, Lana Abu Hijleh, was murdered in cold blood by the Israeli military in her house in Nablus yesterday.

Auntie Shaden, as we fondly called her, was sitting in front of her glass balcony inside her house, with her husband, Dr. Jamal and her son, Saed, a professor of social geography at Najah University in Nablus.

She was embroidering when an Israeli military jeep stopped in front of the house. A soldier got out, went to the back of the jeep, picked up a weapon and started shooting (Details of the cold blooded murder are available below and also from radio tariq el-mahabbeh from amerhadi@tmfm.net).

The funeral for Shaden Abu Hijleh will take place tomorrow in Nablus. Condolences can be sent to her husband, Dr. Jamal, and to her daughter, Lana, chief engineer with UNDP's Program of Assistance to the Palestinian People, and Board Chair, Palestinian Popular Arts Ensemble. Also receiving condolences are her sons, Saed; Raed and Rami.

In 1967, Shaden Abu Hijleh resigned her post as a school teacher to protest Israeli decision to alter the curriculum in Palestinian schools.

Instead, she dedicated her time to activism, getting involved in grassroots organizing on a host of issues, ranging from opposition to house demolitions and land confiscations, to literacy campaigns and income-generating projects for women. As well, Auntie Shaden co-founded the Palestinian Society for the Protection of the Environment. Nabulsis fondly remember her reprimanding folks for cigarette smoking, regardless of their age, gender, or social standing. On one of my visits to Nablus, she gave me "No Smoking" sign in Arabic and English.

More recently, Shaden Abu Hijleh was active in distributing food for the hungry in Nablus; dividing the donated flour, sugar, rice and milk into small packages and taking them to needy families who lost their livelihood due to high unemployment rates exasperated by a curfew that has lasted 113 days.

Shaden Abu Hijleh, was elected and served on the Executive Committee of the Women's Social and Cultural Association, Women's Affairs Center, and a number of social justice groups in Nablus.

To her family and friends, Auntie Shaden was known for her generosity and love of life. She always found the time to visit relatives and friends. She never neglected to invite you over for a great lunch at the center of which was a specialty of hers-stuffed grape leaves layered with stuffed zucchinis.

Auntie Shaden had a great smile and a lot of energy. She tended her garden with the same loving care she tended her children and now grandchildren: Zeina, Yasmeen, and Nadia who have not seen their grandmother since May. Because they live in Jerusalem, it has become too dangerous for them to make the trip to Nablus with their parents. When my nieces will ask, "where is grandma Shaden?", no answer will restore the smiles stolen from their innocent faces. When they insist: "Who hurt her?" What should we say?

We are hoping the Auntie Shaden will get a funeral and a proper burial tomorrow. We are hoping that those who respected her and loved her will be able to pay their respects and say goodbye to this wonderful women. We are hoping that her youngest, Rami, will be able to get through the Bridge from Jordan in time to make his mother's funeral. Today, we can only hope for a dignified death; no more do we dare dream of life.

I share with you my grief for this wonderful woman--a lovely soul whose life was taken away. I share my grief and I hope that you will join me and raise your voices to say enough! Do something to show your anger; please do not become jaded to the killings. Make the life of Shaden Abu Hijleh count and remember her name!

Salam,

Rabab Abdulhadi

The jeep was roaming the city. Inside it, a bunch of model Israeli soldiers, they have all the qualifications of the typical Israeli occupation army requests; ruthlessness, blood-thirst and sadism.

The jeep approach Street 15 in the Rafidya area in Nablus, residential buildings and villas were the theme of the area.

Dr. Jamal Abu Hijleh, his wife Shaden and their son Sa’ed live in a villa on Street 15. The other three members of the family are out of the country. Shaden and her husband were tending to the front garden. Sa’ed was in the glassed entrance. --some people call them sunroom or glassed porch. Shaden was famous for her love to gardening and her garden was immaculate. I know that because they are parents to my twin brother Nasser’s wife, Lana.

When the jeep neared, the Abu Hijleh’s did not really hide because where they were standing at the time was protected from both sides by the front of the house and the fence. Besides, the curfew that started on June 20 was wearing people out. No one was expected to stay locked up for 112 days, and hide every time a patrol passes. Also, the curfew’s been lifted form 6 am till 6 pm since Wednesday–except today--, people of Nablus took this as a sign to try to get back to normal life.

The army jeep did not just pass. It stopped suddenly and opened fire at the Abu Hijleh’s for no reason. There were no provocations –as the army calls them--; no stone throwing nor demonstrations to give excuse to the soldiers to open fire, but they did. After the incident, someone said the soldiers left the street laughing.

Shaden died on the spot, two bullets hit her in the heart and neck, Dr. Jamal and Sa’ed suffered shrapnel wounds and were rushed to hospital. The incident lasted less than ten seconds. Ten seconds that changed a whole family.

The news shocked people instantly. Shaden was a social and peaceful activist who was very active in peaceful demonstrations and in helping needy people in the curfew and providing them with food and medicine relief through the many social organizations was she was a member. She helped a lot in the returning to school campaign, which practically broke the curfew for nearly two weeks. Shaden was a good citizen, now she is dead, Murdered in cold blood.

Our news desk was receiving so many calls checking if what people heard was true. I received my share and tried to go to hospital to offer my condolences and help to the family but the curfew was very restricted and both the hospital where the family was taken and their home were surrounded and siege by the army.

I felt helpless. My brother Nasser and his wife Lana were out of the country and so were Lana’s two other brothers, Ra’ed and Rami. Nasser and Lana were in Jordan due back on Sunday. There was no chance possible for them to cross the borders from Amman tonight. The borders and roads leading to Nablus are controlled by the Israeli army and were banned for Palestinians at night.

My family finally managed to get through to Nasser and gave him the burden of delivering the unbelievable, saddening and frustrating news to Lana. He said he would shut off all the mobile phones and get Lana away from TVs and radios. He will tell her in the morning; she will not be able to stand knowing and staying away. Sa’ed said he would take care of informing his bothers Ra’ed and Rami.

I finally managed to get through to Sa’ed who had previously left his mobile with friends as he was recovering from his wounds in hospital. He said, “They attacked us in cold blood, the area was very quite and when the jeep passed by the house, my parents were already in the front garden, I was behind the glass in the porch. The jeep stopped and opened fire. I felt helpless, it is devastating”

The victim this time is a mother, the last was a father, son, daughter, grandfather… etc. The world media would probably brush the news flash away, and so would world leaders. For them, it is becoming too common for Palestinians to be victims.

I leave you with one question, Is Israel adopting a policy of assassinating peace activists?

The world is watching, yet has done little.

Amer Abdelhadi

Radio Tariq Al Mahabbeh

TMFM 97.7

Nablus Under Curfew

October 11th, 2002