New hit song for Palestinian children: When we die as martyrs
'Birds of Paradise' produces song in which children welcome death to regain Palestine.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Israel news Palestinian GazaAn Arabic children's choir has been racking up views all over the world with the new YouTube hit "when we die as martyrs, we will go to heaven."
The song was apparently recorded by the Jordanian-owned production company and television channel "birds of Paradise."
According to The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), one of the world's most comprehensive data centers on radical Islamic terrorist groups, the song is a hit on Arabic and worldwide websites and the children's choir performing it fast is becoming one of the most popular children's groups in the Arab world.
In the video clip, which can be viewed on the popular video sharing site YouTube, a young brown-eyed girl sings in front of what seems to be a group of children in pre-school the lyrics "Without Palestine, what does childhood mean?"
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An image from the video of the 'Birds of Paradise' children's choir singing When we die as martyrs |
| Photo by: YouTube |
YouTube has already received dozens of spin-offs and remakes of the video, some of which depict Arabic children mimicking the lyrics while others show Jihadists using it as background music.
Journalist Fawzia Nasir al-Naeem wrote in the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al-Jazirah that "[Birds of Paradise] is one of the most widely distributed children's song groups in the Arab world, and it seems to have crossed the ocean to Canada and Britain."
She added that the group represents a new wave in Jihadist youth indoctrination, as it is child-friendly, as opposed to previous Jihadist programs.
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HAVE ROOM FOR ALL , AND JORDAN IS THE REAL SOLUTION FOR MORE ARABS, ISRAEL IS THE JEWISH STATE, THE REAL RESISTENCE AGAINST THE OCCUPATION THAT ISLAMIC WORLD IS TRYING FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS.
Have you ever looked at the words to Maoz Tzur Yeshuati? All the verses?
from a christian who lived all his live amongst moslems. a moslem is promised heave if he kills for islam of is killed for islam. there is no peacefull way to coexist with those people unless you have the upper hand.
Golda Meir, former Prime Minister of Israel, once said “Peace will come to the Middle East when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.”
its very clear that isreal created a new generation that doesn't fear death when it killed too many children in too many ways .
Parents are sending children to blow themselves up and it's israel's fault?? Just goes to show how single-minded people are. Israel's children are taught to PROTECT their state... Palestinian's are obviously taught to BLOW THEMSELVES UP. Yet, idiots like you continue to say the same thing over and over and over again
Jihadist music and culture has been prevalent and common in the Arab and Muslim world for decades. Shaheed culture is the main force driving Modern Islam heading towards total global Jihad.
This has nothing to do with the real teachings of Islam. This is wrong, wrong, terribly wrong! Children should not be taught that their lives are worth nothing without their lands!!! May G-d forgive them for abusing Islam like this!!
What I understand is that any innocent kid bombed by Israel is a martyr. So martyr does not mean terrorist. In the choreography is clear that, when the military dressed firing at the innocent girl makes her a martyr. As they feel impotent they ask G-d to take revenge for them. What it is fair enough and G-d knows best. I think Israel media is brainwashing their readers by taking this out of context and somehow legitimizing the killing, imprisonment and torture of children who are also martyred.
Every country in the world teaches their children nationalism, I see no wrong in saying without Palestine there is no childhood. Of course there is no childhood in Gaza , West bank and refugees camps. Where were all of you when Israeli children wrote messages of hate and death on the missiles that where fired into civilian areas in Lebanon in 2006. I guess you just cant take that fact that we Palestinians will never surrender or give up before we get back our rightful country. Say what you like, the fact is that the occupation and the uprooting of the Palestinians from their homelands created this mess. After you got what you wanted then we should behave and act according to what you and the west require from us. Look into the West history and the Israeli history, you Killed more innocent children than anyone else. I am proud of these children. YOU robbed them of their parents, land and childhood and want them now to forget and forgive? Not in your liftime.
I islam promises.... send me more. ran out ages ago.
and keep inflicting on the Pals. Is easy to says this HATE etc but one must look first at the roots and origins of why these kids are singing this song.
Let's NOT look into roots and origins, because the children don't care about that. They care about doing what they're told. THAT's what you look at. The act of teaching children it's ok to blow themselves up. To justify that in anyway makes you an evil SOB
its clear that israel created these small fighters when it hits gaza and forbidden 1.5 million from necessary supplies so i tell isreal congratulations, you earn what you see
Parents who encourage their children to blow themselves up create them. Don't glorify them by calling them 'heroes' and 'small fighters' while saying it's Israel's creation. Not only is it contradictory, but it's ignorant. I hope you go to one of the markets these children attack.
WHAT A GREAT PLAY GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND... INSTEAD OF KIDS PLAYING OUT SOMETHING USEFUL IN HISTORY, THEY'RE PLAY IS SHOOTING SOLDIERS AT A CHECKPOINT... SINGING FOR "REVENGE"... YA, NICE. WHEN WILL THE SICK, EVIL, COWARDS... STOP USING THEIR KIDS TO PROMOTE THEIR HATE? TERRORISTS ARE COWARDS. TALK BIG, PREACH BIG, BUT WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE, THEY'LL HIDE LIKE LITTLE GIRLS BEHIND LITTLE GIRLS. COWARDS!!!
Incitement? NIL Advocating violence? NIL Hatred? NIL 'welcoming death' ? NIL. Hatred of Jews? NIL Depicting being blown away by IDF? Too real for some folk. So they see what isn't there instead, which is quite hilarious.
As for 'welcoming' death, please show how and where...thx More like a depiction of a reality many can't afford to see... Meanwhile try searching Jewish martyrs...
# 1 in Nablus - if you are indeed a Palestinian from Nablus and not a blogger from Tel Aviv - you need to spread that exact life-embracing sentiment around, and take back your religion and your piece of the region from the lunatics. If there really is a "peaceful majority" in Islam like we hear again and again - I want to know where the hell they are and what they are waiting for. I am waiting for the day that the masses in the Middle East step up and take back the microphone and the agenda. Also...I'm waiting for Palestininan leadership to take responsibility for its own people's well-being instead of always placing blame on others; use funding for the people's needs only; learn to embrace life; and learn to move FORWARD. Your message below is of extreme importance. Say it louder! Many nations have been through hell and manage to make the best of it. Many children live in poverty and other depressig circumstances but only Palestinian children are taught that death (with Jewish victims) is a noble way out. I am praying that at some point, your kind of voice will find a way to dominate the dialogue. Then there will be dialogue! Israel and the West are here if you need our help. We can't wait !
I think that all Israelis and all friends of Israel have a lot to do to separate the fundamentalistisk jews for jewhood. Killing and occupying stolen territories in the name of God isn't right. What was the lesson of jewish children in Europe after Holocaust and before Exodus ? There are no Palestine leadership only Israeli suppression forces and terror against civilians. How can You expect peace when You steal their land, terorise their daily live, let them live in hunger.
Using children.! Stealing their childhood! Honor?
I wonder why there's no international investigation on this massive child abuse!
This is very wrong but it is Israel's creation: Palestinians love their land and are family-orientated, what can you expect when they are terrorized and see relatives killed from a very early age. And Israel cannot really preach when we see photos of Jewish children with guns, and being taught to look on Arabs as less than human. It is just another form of zealotry.
How can you call Palestinian's family oriented when they're sending their children to death?? Israel protects their borders, Palestinians blow themselves up in markets. Are you really justifying this? This would be awfully understandable if people like you were in the markets when these kids decide to attack
As Hamas and Hezbollah emphasize, they love death. And yet how they love to wail and make propaganda out of the dead.
Your last sentence is prime time jingoistic propaganda.
Regardless of the context, this is child abuse. Is there any record of a single Jew wishing for his child to die a martyr...even in the middle of the Holocaust? It is depraved and must be seen for what it is...not explained away.
Let me get this straight!, so Israelies teach their children that if they die defending Israel they will go to Hell! Shall I quote the various Israeli songs that glorify death for the Israel! Get down from your high horses, and acknowledge that we all have problems in this part of the world, and it is called lack of communication and arrogance.
If you want to tell people to get off their high horse, maybe you should follow suit. The fact that you have to thank Israel for the Palestinian's horrible way of raising children shows that you're sitting pretty high yourself
Like this is news to us?
Another litany of sick lies in order to promote and rationalize murder, terrorism and genocide. Now you even justify using small children as suciide bombers. You belong in jail, Natallie. For life without paroie.
So get educated and tell your cowardly leaders who groom you to die for their militant cause to go to Hell because you would rather be a productive person in your peaceful State!
It is extremely shameful-to say the least- for adults to indoctrinate and brainwash children and fill their hearts and minds with this rubbish. The Palestinian cause is a just cause and the apartheid State of Israel needs to be put in check by the international community however blowing up pizzerias and buss stops and Ceder celebrants and preaching hate and bigotry is not the proper way of ending apartheid and the occupation, non violent resistance is the honorable and only path. The Palestinian and Arabs have failed to tap into their biggest asset: The Jewish conscience. Assure the Jewish people of Israel of their security and their rights to a Jewish State and they will turn on their apartheid state, their painful history and justified fear has caused many of them to close their eyes to what their government is doing. So to the Arab and Palestinian masses I say: Screw your bigoted leaders, reach out and touch a Jew and you will be pleasantly surprised, you have nothing to lose and everything good to gain. Sadly though the evil doers on both sides continue to win the day. Salam and Shalom to all the good people of the Unholy Holy Land.
The reason why Palestinians have been treated this way is because of their Jihadist ways and Israel has acted purely in self defense against brain washed Jihadist.
ProudLebaneseAmerican posted the most practical response yet, and with all the stupid, ignorant posts, you choose to call this person naive??
What is wrong with someone dying for their country and the liberty of their people? Does Jews die for Israel? They are not calling for suicide bombing, they just saying if you happen to die for Palestine.
...literally hopeless.
This is child abuse. They're teaching the kids to want to die. What hope for peace is there if you can offer them the world but it isn't enough? What reason should Israel make any concessions?
Ben Gurion must be turning in his grave. When asked about peace with the Arabs, he answered "If I were an Arab, I'll never make peace with Israel, why should they, we came and took their land, I hope that in a generation or two they will forget about it". The Palestinian resistance to the occupation whether combative, with poetry or song proves their resilience and that they will never forget their beloved land.
despicable!
"If I forget thee Jerusalem, may I lose my right arm". This popular Jewish cry for remembrance carries a similar message, the self mutilation or the death wish for ones return of beloved land is just a metaphor. Nothing more, nothing less.
They have been teaching their kids to kill and maim in Sesame Street and other programs. This is nothing new. The only new aspect is that Ha'aretz is taking its head out of the sand.
the Israeli policy of dealing with it has produced many generations of Angry Palestinians, the Israeli brutality did not work, and the consequences will be felt in coming years.
How disturbing to see this clip. How can one fight a war with a people that puts no value on their own children? Those childrem are doomed from the day they are born and not because of Israel or the world but because of Islam and its cruel teachings. Yes, when the Palistinians will love their children more than they hate the Jews then there will be peace.. But that will never happen and so the children are all doomed to be martyrs.
"How disturbing to see this clip." Yes the IDF are depicted killing. " How can one fight a war with a people that puts no value on their own children?" Uh being blessed by the lord.....it's actually the highest value for a religious person to put on folk who're killed by their usurpers.
maybe they can be on American Idol
Is there one Israeli out there who doesn't blame the Palestinians for their suffering? Really? It's ALL Hamas' fault? The organization Israel helped upstart and funded?
Fawzia Nasir al-Naeem wrote: "....Birds of Paradise ....have crossed the ocean to Canada and Britain." Where is the Western public outrage? The background actions filled with the violence and hatred performed by children-actors. The Islamic World embraced and applauded this evil propaganda. Who will be next: Canada? England?...USA? "Even if they give us the entire World....."
In America we teach our kids to honor those who fight and give their lives to defend our freedom. Patrick Henry back in 1776 said "give me liberty or give me death" and we teach that to our kids in schools to. Given that Palestinians do not have their liberty and that Israel keeps oppressing them and taking their lands, I don't see what the big deal is. Americans would be doing the same thing as we did before. Stop whining Israel and give the Palestinians their lands, dignity, and freedom then let's talk.
This is only the creation of the Israeli atrocities against the palestinian people. eventhough martyrdom is an honorable thing to do Muslims never had to die as martyrs unless they had to defend their existence and Israel gave every reason to do that . I am rejoicing with them it is a beautiful song
Falastine is in our blood and our children blood
BTW, when was there EVER a nation called Palestine. Who ruled it? What was its currency? Language?
... .... ..... I have nothing to say
too bad their minds have been brainwashed with poison
How disgusting to use children in this way. "If they give us the whole world we will not forget her (Palestine)." What hope is there for peace? What reason does Israel have to compromise? So the theme is to carry on the struggle forever and suffer whatever the consequences in between. This is a recipe for eternal suffering.
know that you murdered these kids' parents and siblings, so why again are we blaming them for saying that when israel doesnt want to stop its crimes and evils
it was their own kin that killed their parents
It is very sad that children are educated to hate and war. If this children are the future what con be expected?
Peace will only come when they love their children more than they hate us. How can people teach their children hatred like this??
isn't it funny how everyone gets worked up about this, yet we're totally ok with teaching our own children "holy texts" that state such lovely things as "should i forget you, jerusalem, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth and/or let my right hand stop working". religion: perpetrating double standards since the beginning of history.
I never thought of it that way, thanks for sharing your thoughts from a different point of view Haaretz. This is really embarrassing and shameful. I hope that every Palestinian reads this article to realize what is wrong with our society.
Life could not be more real for these children ...say what you want, but this is an example of a failed world leadership. We can do better, we can have a better world
the kids who become martyrs on the video, are shot by armed kids in kippas.
Needs children does it to remind the Arab world of what years of brutal Israeli occupation has done to the psyche of the Palestinian people.
Cowards for the Caliphate Cause!
Talk about incitement of children? Read Rabbi Yitzak Shapira's new Halachic commentary, "The King's Torah" [“Torah Hamelech”]. It's a guide to killing gentiles (a/k/a, Arabs). A few quotes will suffice from the chapter titled “The Killing of Gentiles in Wartime”: “In any circumstances where the presence of a gentile causes danger to Israel, it is permitted to kill the gentile.” (Wow, mere “presence” is enough! Kill all 100 million Arabs?) “In cases where there is strong suspicion that someone will continue persecuting Jews, it is permissible to kill him, even if at this moment, he is not actively persecuting.” (Merely being a Palestinian is enough.) and the best one: “There is justification for killing babies if it is clear they will grow up to harm us.” Shapira’s book also calls for destroying the Al Aqsa mosque. And no, this is not a "fringe" book. It has been embraced by many prominent Rabbis including the son of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, leader of Israel’s Shas party. It is now taught in many West Bank yeshivas. From Haaretz: “In 2006-2007, the Israeli Ministry of Education gave about a quarter of a million dollars to [Shapira’s] yeshiva, and in 2007-2008 the yeshiva received about $28,000 from the American nonprofit Central Fund of Israel.” “Prominent religious figures wrote letters of endorsement that preface the book. Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, son of former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, blessed the authors and wrote that many "disciples of Torah are unfamiliar with these laws." The elder Yosef has not commented on his son's statement. ”Dov Lior, chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba and a respected figure among many mainstream religious Zionists, noted that the book is "very relevant especially in this time."” http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1144482.html
I feel so sorry for them.They are too young to know what they are doing and how they are being used cynically by Hamas(?) to gain sympathy,like sending women on blockade ships,except they are old enough to know better,or are misguided.
This would be a crime against humanity in any other culture. You simply are not allowed to promote the suicide of children by getting them to murder unarmed civilians. Amnesty and HRW should be all over this one, but of course they're ignoring it since it might offend some of their donors.
One is driven to believe that this is why Israel is a passing phenomenon. Israelis, fired by a confusing historical discourse and equally customized Zionist 'dream' fail to see what they have done, and what that which they have done will bring upon them. The determination of other people to recover their homes and lands is manifest, for some 60 years of the troubled and troubling existence of Israel, and according to one correspondant who corrected me, even before! Instead of taking stock of the situation, Israeli public opinion makers turn to quasi-racist nonsense about Arabs and their children... as if Zionists kids in segregated schools fare any better! But this is a human trait. Never to look in the mirror - and when you accidentally do, scream with delight: "Who is the prettiest of them all?" ... and to the rest of the sordid story of our times.
we build a country within a few years, they educate their children to wish for death, but WE are the confused? Get the facts: The 'segregated' schools you read about last week are antizionist. That song, and the accompanying education exists, this not zionist propaganda, the fact that this is underdocumented is antizionist disinformation. The muazzins here, in their calls for prayer frequently add within the prayers the sentence 'Yitbach al Yehud' (slaughter the jew). And do not forget to look into your own mirror.
how many palästinian children was killed bei IDF, its naturaly dath death will be somthing normaly for palestinian population
--Brainwashed by violent propaganda/blood libel It is disturbingly astonishing the magnitude of people who accept or can even ignore this type of invocation. I find it in every way repulsive and utterly deplorable. It will be truly be a sign of our maker's audacious magnanimity if these children don't reach the exact opposite end than what their abecedarium preaches and describes.
If this isn't child abuse, I dont know what is. Those poor children will never grow into anything but monsters.
Wow - the Arab world is really evolving spiritually. Is there no shame? Has rationalization and hypocrisy won? No! Cynicism has won.
We Jews for centuries have have sung songs and celebrated life. One of the wishes written and said each year is "next year in Jerusalem". Never have any songs we sang referred to being a martyr to live again in Israel or Jerusalem. Different strokes for different folks.
I can see the crazed lefties EU peacemakers nodding in understanding. Anti-Semites of the world: UNITE !
This is the problem. We are dealing here with a national lunacy. There is no way out, forget about it.
With songs like this will there ever be peace?
Just how much do you know about the Israeli education system that militarizes children from the earliest years, glorifying combat for the sake of the nation. Consider years of that coming at you through the classroom and compare it to one song.
to become and continue to be military.If Israel lets its guard down once,there would be no Israel
Will the incitement and indoctornation of hatred ever stop? How sick is it that you make songs/videos encouraging children to hate and die for a cause! War is for adults only! Leave the children out of it!
Are you listening to this, all of you who think that Israel is creating "obstacles to peace?" All of you who think Rachel Corrie died in a noble cause?
This is what israel creates, children who are suffering so much generation after generation that they are willing to die to stop israel coming its crimes against humanity so no many more generations of children will not have to suffer the same.
I think it is naive to think that "the children are willing to die". These young children are simply doing as they are told.
you cannot blame israel for each and every misery on this world. it's the palestinians themselves who create this, not israel.
u think children are willing to die because of their own convictions? are u THAT deluded? do u really believe that they can comprehend their situation in an unbiased manner? do u not see that these poor souls are being brain washed byevlifundamentalists who are as ignorant as the
If Hamas would only moderate its terrorist policies, much of the suffering of children of would pass very quickly.
What did she write? "they (the children) are willing to die to stop israel coming its crimes against humanity" Can you imagine? The children willing to die??????
yet they never sang "we want to die as martyrs"....
They areTOLD that they suffer so much. They are educated for that. This has nothing to do with actual suffering.
And these are the "people" that Israel should make peace with, give back land, allow terrorist lunatics to take over. What a joke. These Arab muslums are absolute evil and should be wiped off the face of the earth....no ifs, ands or buts.
Israel has worked hard, maybe too hard, to create hell on earth at their doorstep. They use every method at their disposal to make things difficult for the Gazans, and then Israelis swear that Gaza has a normal life style with normal supplies and normal conveniences. Of course, Israel forbids all visiting diplomats from going to Gaza for themselves. Too dangerous. If some of the Gazan children grow up wanting to strike back at their tormentors then this would be the only normal thing about Gaza.
Have you ever been to Gaza? Ever been to Israel? You talk like you know it all. Based on what? Newspapers and the media. Take a trip and see for yourself. I'll be your guide. We'll meet children in Sderot and maybe a few parents whose children were blown up on buses. Learn a few of the realities on the ground.
so you approve of child sacrifice?
I can't even decide if you are serious. Even from within your twisted and warped construct, that somehow Israel is the evil empire, you've got to wake up. The South Africans suffered tremendously under Apartheid. But what did they produce? That's right, Mandela. What have the Palestinians produced here? That's right, Jihad, a cult of death, and international terrorism. Even if you are correct that the Pals are the aggrieved party here, you must admit that the train has come off the tracks. If a serial killer suffered a terrible childhood, does that legitimate his "striking back"?
"If some of the Gazan children grow up wanting to strike back at their tormentors then this would be the only normal thing about Gaza". So they must strike back at hamas first and foremost. When will you stop spreading your idiocy around - where is the UN sponsored child center in gaza-land - a place that was meant to be a bit more sane than the local centers are. Where is it? Wrecked by your favorite party? Shame to all of you!!
then you have no sense of balance whatsoever in your value judgments -- i.e. you are morally bankrupt, the statements you make are worthless and meaningless.
Are you serious. Are you unable to critise anything the Arabs do. I understand disagreeing with Israeli policies, but supporting a video that encourages martyrdom of kids. You are sick.
and from my knowledge of children that sounds more like Hell.
Everyone knows that Hamas and Hizbullah target Israeli children and have murdered and maimed very many. It is not surprising that extremist Muslims would also sacrifice their own children. Yet do moderate Muslims or Arabs stand up and do anything about this? Were there mass demonstrations or any at all by Arabs and Muslims against the 9/11 atrocity? Common people must stand up and not be lead like sheep to the slaughter by the 'politically correct' blindfolds of the loony left!
Children should learn to love life not death...freedom is important..but what does freedom mean if you are dead ?
I guess not everyone is out of there mind with hate. The generation of hate, that is sceary.
tell that to Hamas...