An Najah University, in Schechem (Nablus) on the West Bank has always been a militant place, having had no less than 19 ‘martyr’ alumni (although I don’t know if they graduated before exploding). Recently there was some controversy when Manchester University in the UK “twinned” with An Najah.
An Najah was also in the news in 2001, when students created an ‘art’ exhibition which included a bloody replica of the bombed Sbarro pizza restaurant in which 15 people were killed and 130 injured.
The exhibit’s main attraction was a room-sized re-enactment of the bombing at Sbarro. The installation featured broken furniture splattered with fake blood and human body parts as well as an idolized portrait of the suicide bomber holding a Koran and an automatic rifle. Also featured in the exhibition is a room with mannequins dressed as suicide bombers carrying automatic rifles in one hand and the Koran in the other, and aside another mannequin dressed up to resemble an Orthodox Jew with a taped voice quoting from the Muslim Hadith: “O believer, there is a Jewish man behind me. Come and kill him.” — Wikipedia
Yesterday Hamas and Fatah supporters among An Najah students lit into each other, bringing an immediate response from Fatah ‘security’ forces:
Three people were wounded by live fire, including one who was shot in the head and was in critical condition, doctors said. Others suffered beating injuries.
The clash began when Hamas supporters staged a sit-in on campus and raised their movement’s green flags. Fatah activists demanded that the Hamas flags be removed, and a fistfight erupted.
At some point, dozens of Palestinian security officers broke into the university and opened fire, the witnesses said. They were joined by about two dozen gunmen in civilian dress. — Jerusalem Post
The harsh response was undoubtedly intended to send a message to Hamas that agitation leading to a putsch in the West Bank, as happened in Gaza, won’t be tolerated. My feeling is that if there is an attempt to execute a coup, Fatah will need the help of the IDF to put it down.
Technorati Tags: An Najah, Hamas, Fatah, West Bank, Nablus, Schechem
It is really hard to understand what is going on in the PA. The Palestinians are blaming Israel for all their misery, but if you see what is happening now, they are responsible for all their suffering.
They could have come so far if they wanted too, but instead they do everything to destroy all hope for themself.
It looks to me as if killing and destroying is part of their faith. Do they know how much damage they do to themself and to all the decent Palestinians all around or to all the Muslim people?
If they go on like this there will never be a chance for a settlement between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
If they go on like this they will get a completely irrelevant small entity somewhere in the Middle east.
Maybe the best that can happen to Israel.
The ‘Union of British Teachers’ will probably pass a resolution commending the teachers and students of ‘An Najah’ for contributing a major new form of academic discussion. i.e. shooting one’s opponent. They will also explain that the only reason they approve this kind of debate is because the Palestinians were forced to introduce it because of the ‘occupation’.