Jerusalem24 – It has been one year today since Shireen Abu Akleh, senior Al-Jazeera correspondent and a beloved icon to all Palestinians, was assassinated by an Israeli sniper as she covered a military raid on the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.
Today, the Abu Akleh family, friends, colleagues, and Palestinians mourn once again the loss of one of the most respected and known journalists both in Palestine and the Arab region.
Nidaa Ibrahim, Aljazeera English reporter, colleague, and friend of Abu Akleh, tells Jerusalem24 that she along with other colleagues still haven’t quite comprehended that Shireen is gone.
“I thought it was a big lie,” Nidaa says. “Many of us are still in the stage of denial.”
Since then, it has been particularly hard for journalists in the field – especially bearing in mind Shireen wasn’t in an actual armed conflict that day, and always took such precautions to ensure her safety.
Nidaa shares that her family has been worried about her ever since the deliberate assassination of a well-known, respected journalist. “My 5-year-old niece didn’t want me to go to Jenin, because she’s afraid a stray bullet would hit me.”
But one year on, Shireen’s mission still echoes within her colleagues’ coverage and pursuit of their calling: “Throughout her life and death, Shireen kept amplifying the Palestinian voice – a responsibility she had that we have to keep alive after her killing,” Nidaa affirms.
Listen to Nidaa’s testimony on Vibes.
https://soundcloud.com/24fmpalestine/vibes-nida-ibrahim-al-jazeera
