Al-Jazeera aired a glowing special on female suicide bomber, Hanadi Jaradat, on August 16, 2005. Jaradat was responsible for the October 2003 bombing of the Arab-owned restaurant Maxim in Haifa, Israel, which killed 19. She is held up as an example for other young girls to follow. Transcribed by MEMRI:
Hanadi Jaradat: “By the power of Allah, I have decided to become the sixth female martyrdom-seeker, who will turn her body into shrapnel, which will reach the heart of every Zionist colonialist in my country, and every settler or Zionist who has tried to sow death in my country. We are not the only ones who must sow and reap…”
Reporter: “Her cousin Sami was the one who filmed her.”
Sami Jaradat: “I filmed her with a video camera. There was no need to prepare a special room. She could stand and say whatever she wanted, and that’s it.
“She was more courageous than a man. I was standing in front of her, and although she was the one going [on the operation], I was more mentally distressed than her…
Amjad Al-‘Ubeidi, commander of the Islamic Jihad in Jenin: “It is not that complicated. We produce primitive explosives, from which we make an explosives belt, a bag, or something. You can get most of it easily these days. There is nothing special about it. The belt is like this shirt — you wear it and there is a button here. You push the button, and that’s it. All she had to do was push a button. There’s nothing to learn. She would wear it… Hanadi, especially, being an educated lawyer, who knows what to do, who speaks English, and gets along by herself – she did not need anyone to take her…
“From the Haifa operation in which Hanadi was martyred until my capture, I did not see her family at all. What can I possibly say to console them? They deserve to be consoled, but words are not enough. They lost [a son before Hanadi]. Nothing is more precious than a son. They lost a son. Losing a son affects the soul many times more than losing a daughter in our society. Losing even 10 daughters is not as bad as losing one son. That’s how it is in our society. A son is more dear to the parents than a daughter. Since his role in life is greater, the pain is heavier.”
Hussein Al-Sheikh, West Bank Fatah commander: “When Wafa Idris did this, she played a role, I think, in the shaping of a new culture among Palestinian girls. She has become a source of pride. Many girls, for various reasons, wanted to play the same role…