Remember the Martyr Razan al-Najjar – the Heroic 21-year old Palestinian Nurse, Killed by an Israeli Sniper
A Tribute from the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), 3 June 2018, www.thecommunists.net
On Friday 1 June, the Israeli army killed another unarmed Palestinian in Gaza. This time they murdered a young woman, Razan al-Najjar. Sister Razan, who wore a very visible medical uniform, was shot in the chest by a so-called "butterfly bullet", which explodes upon impact, pulverising tissue, arteries and bone, while causing severe internal injuries. She has become the latest martyr in the liberation struggle of the Palestinian people.
Sister Razan was a young volunteer medic who had become a familiar face at the Khan Younis encampment, one of five set up along the length of the fence east of the Gaza Strip. She was admired by the people for her selfless dedication to help others.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on April 20, Razan said that she felt it was her "duty and responsibility" to be present at the protests and help the wounded. "The Israeli army does intend to shoot as many as they can," she said at the time. "It's crazy and I'd be ashamed if I was not there for my people." (https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/meet-palestinian-women-forefront-gaza-protests-180419154907955.html)
In another interview with The New York Times last month, Razan described the enthusiasm she had for the work she did. "We have one goal - to save lives and evacuate [wounded] people," she said. "We do this for our country," she continued, adding that it was humanitarian work.
Sister Razan challenged patriarchal stereotypes towards women working in the field, where she herself would put in 13 hour shifts, beginning from 7am until 8pm. "Women are often judged but society has to accept us," Razan said. "If they don't want to accept us by choice, they will be forced to accept us. Because we have more strength than any man." (https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/middleeast/100000005932394/palestinian-medic-killed-at-gaza-protest.html) And, indeed, she has demonstrated that women are no less dedicated to the freedom struggle than men and that they deserve an equal place in the liberation movement as well as the whole society!
Sister Razan has already become an icon not only in Palestine but the whole Arab and Muslim world. Her funeral on 2 June in Gaza was attended by thousands of people.
She became the 123th Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces since 30 March – when the popular protests began calling for the Palestinians' right of return to the homes from which they were expelled from in 1948. More than 13,000 others have been wounded.
Brothers and sisters, we can revenge Israel’s murder of our martyr Razan al-Najjar only by continuing and intensifying the struggle for the liberation of Palestine! Let us never forget:
Israel is a terror state! As long as this Apartheid state exists, there can be no justice and no peace!
All the Great Powers support Israel and its strangling of the Palestinian people!
Nearly all heads of the Arab and Muslim states don’t raise a finger to help the Palestinians! In fact, without the aid of General Sisi’s dictatorship in Egypt, Israel wouldn’t be able to impose its barbaric blockade against the people in Gaza!
Likewise we must never forget that the corrupt PA leadership of Abbas collaborates since many years with the Israeli army and helps it to suppress the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank!
As revolutionaries, anti-imperialists, and socialists we in Revolutionary Communist International Tendency remain committed to support the liberation struggle of the Palestinian people!
Break the blockade of Gaza!
Long live the Palestinian liberation struggle!
Down with Zionism!
For the right of all Palestinians to return to their home!
For a free, red Palestine! For a Socialist Federation in the Middle East!
There are already many reports on sister Razan al-Najjar in the internet including numerous pictures. Here is only a small selection:
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/thousands-gaza-mourn-palestinian-paramedic-killed-israel-660713987
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestinian-nurse-shot-dead-israeli-forces-gaza-1701222793
https://www.juancole.com/2018/06/israeli-snipers-palestinian.html
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bl9D07Jqes&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paCnT_ZzbsU&feature=youtu.be
Cartoon by Carlos Latuff
