selling martyrdom
Tue, Jul 16, 2002 at 3:28:50 pm
The guys at Middle East Realities point out this Jordanian site called Dying To Live, featuring a collection of slick/sick posters with Palestinian children posed to emulate famous pictures of Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Umm Kulthum (who?), William Shakespeare, John Lennon, Mother Teresa, Pablo Picasso, and none other than Ludwig Van.
The purpose of this campaign, created by the “advertising and media community of Jordan,” seems to be to legitimize the martryrdom concept to a Western audience. Of course, the word “martyr” does not appear.
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Khaled of Palestine hopes to be an Einstein.
Dare we say there's such a thing as hope?
Einstein deciphered the equation of the universe. But to Khaled the equation of his universe now is "Hopelessness = Fear x Uncertainty2". It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if the youth of Palestine cannot even hope, then there must be something wrong. The solution to the formula starts by asking why Khaled is dying to hope.
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Zaid of Palestine aspires to be an Abraham Lincoln.
Dare we say aspirations are not for fools?
Lincoln abolished slavery and made America the land of the free. But Zaid is not even free to roam his own land without fear. The dignity of the youth of Palestine is chained. Zaid is dying for his aspirations to be unshackled.
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Johnny of Palestine imagines he can be a Lennon.
Dare we say that his imagination is not fiction?
Lennon gave the world something to sing about. But now the only song in the hearts of Palestinians is composed by tears. Start imagining why Johnny is dying to sing. That will be music to his ears.