How difficult it is to see death up close, we cannot imagine sitting in a newsroom, descending into a valley of death and trying to find the reason for the death of the dead, is like inviting death. The river of fire and blood has to be crossed to bring the truth to the newsroom in the form of news. Field reporters of newspapers, TV, radio stand on the battlefield and seek the truth for the readers, viewers and listeners so that the facts are revealed, is a great jihad. Suppressing the voice of this truth is a heinous crime, but an even greater crime would be to silence the seeker of truth forever. A similar cruelty has been happening in the Gaza region of Palestine for the past two months, where journalists who are searching for the truth are being put to death forever. Their families are also being targeted. On October 7, 2023, when Hamas suddenly attacked Israel, the world was shocked. No organization in the world could report this attack in advance.
After the attack by Hamas, Israel, which has been encroaching on Palestinians for more than seven decades, decided to retaliate, but instead of fighting alongside Hamas fighters, it targeted civilian populations. . Many houses, hospitals, ambulances, schools were bombed. In such a situation, journalists and media organizations working in Gaza did not stop from carrying out their journalistic activities. According to confirmed reports, more than 1,000 journalists and media workers were working in Gaza before October 7. In these two months, more than 60 journalists have been martyred and many injured. Several journalists of Wafa, the official news agency of the Palestinian Authority, have been killed.
The representative of the international journalism organizations says that not so many journalists have been killed while reporting in Russia, Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan, as Israel has shown brutality. Family members of Nasir Abu Bakr, president, Palestine Journalists’ Syndicate, have also been martyred, but he is still carrying out journalistic duties.
Vietnam defended its country by fighting a war against the United States for many years, probably during this time around 60 journalists were killed, but Israel killed thousands of Palestinians, children, women and journalists in just two months with heavy bombing. Be their target. The government of Israel is not even ashamed of it. Even the countries that support it seem to be silent on it, which is the worst example regarding the protection of human rights.
A look at the statistics from around the world shows how journalists and media workers have been treated over the years. Recently, a report was released that from 2006 to 2023, 1600 journalists were martyred around the world, all of them went out in search of the truth and sacrificed their lives. Among them, 95 percent of men and five percent of women also sacrificed in the performance of their duties.
I myself have been associated with journalism and am aware of the demands of this profession. I am not afraid to see blood, but I cannot be silent when I see cruelty. Raising a voice to support the oppressed against oppression is the level of worship, it is an honor for me to reveal the oppression through my writing in support of the oppressed. I can feel the sobs and wails of children, old men, young men and women martyred in Palestine. Those who exposed the oppressor with their blood, their sacrifice will not be in vain.
Those who sacrificed their lives in the line of journalistic duties, came out to show the truth to the world, if their voices have been silenced, I feel it is my duty to protest the injustice done to them.
People like me and many others want to see the truth emerge. We all must collectively be a part of the voice that the powerful are brutally using their power to silence.
Even in my own country, Pakistan, people who have gone out in search of truth have sacrificed their lives. In the last ten years, 40 journalists have sacrificed their lives. Pakistan has been declared as a dangerous country for journalists all over the world, but behind it are people who spread lies, brutality and fear.
Fear is spread to suppress the truth so that people stop knowing about reaching the truth, but the days of oppression will eventually end.
Humanity is ashamed of the brutality that Israel has inflicted on the Palestinians. Just as the journalists of Palestine have not left their work despite the fear of brutality and are trying to bring out the facts while facing death at every moment, in the same way we should encourage our journalists in Pakistan who are searching for the truth. They make their lives difficult. We salute such great people.