Children’s song endorsing martyrdom gaining popularity in Arab world

23 June 2010

A music video, available on the internet platform ‘YouTube’, with a song sung by a children's choir endorsing martyrdom in the fight against Israel, is becoming increasingly popular in the Arab world. The children sing: "When we die as martyrs, we will go to heaven" and "Without Palestine, what does childhood mean?" The choir is reportedly becoming one of the most popular children's groups in the Arab world.

The songs are broadcast over the ‘Birds of Paradise’ TV channel that began operating in the Gulf emirate of Bahrain in January 2008. It was established by the Jordanian-Palestinian businessman Khaled Maqdad, who formed the children’s band in 1994. He has since raised funds to set up the TV station, which specializes in broadcasting the band's clips. In addition to the children's songs, there are also an abundance of love songs to the homeland and songs praising "heroes like Ahmad Yassin," the wheelchair bound founder of Hamas whom Israel killed in March 2004.

"This is a private low-budget project," Maqdad said in a past interview with the Arab newspaper ‘Al-Shuruq’. "The channel has captured the hearts of millions of children. It succeeds where the educational system has failed, such as multiplication table songs. It helps teachers work on it with the children."

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Raanan Gilboa, about 1 year ago

Unfortunately kids are being used in many ways and in multiple cultures around the world, including as wariors in African nations, as cheap labor in east and south Asia (and even as prostitutes and sex slaves in some societies (south America, Tailand etc.) This is obviously a huge disgrace to human kind.

Roz, about 1 year ago

To tell children to kill themselves is an expression of of the nihilism which pervades so many Arab cultures. It is also an ex-tension of their attitudes toward women, and a perversion of human sexuality and relationships. What do we think such self destructive people will do with nuclear weaponry once they have it?

khuder, about 1 year ago

The worst thing in the world is Islam

dorothy, about 1 year ago

When you teach children hate nothing can be solved. This is a disgrace to humankind. Will this hatred never end?

Lawrence Kassan, about 1 year ago

To preach and champion DEATH over LIFE is insane.

mottazzella, about 1 year ago

Its just horrible ,if this children evil endoctorniation be not hamphered in Palestine , pakistan ,afghanistan , and other parts of the world ,it pains and agonize me much to announce ,that we are just lost to the islamic arab beast and bigots .

Carl J. Rabinowitz, about 1 year ago

Golda Meir said..... When the arabs learn to love their children as much as they hate the Jews, then we will have peace!

Erica Hen, about 1 year ago

What a shame! How can they teach children such values...

Instead we teach our children Torah, peace, love, work, study...

שלום E! -- חן - אריקה

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