Aysenur: Heroic Martyrdom

By Khaled Nusseibeh

She graced the hallowed soil
With the wanton spilling of her noble blood
Aysenur stands at a towering height
Carving in Palestine’s memory a story of heroic martyrdom
She answered the beckoning call of tremendous injustice
To stand in solidarity against iniquitous occupation
In the environs of the blessed city of Nablus
In the contiguous hamlet of Beita
The mischievous sniper’s fire targeted her
Inflicting the dying day on her living soul

Shall we sing an ode or an elegy?
To mourn the passing of Aysenur
Daughter of great Turkey and America
Whose only wrongdoing was to stand by
Those protesting nefarious and illegal settlement
Of the holy soil marking a day of immense grief
At the death of a righteous warrior
Struggling to lift injustice and affirm an incontrovertible truth
That Palestine is the abode of the steadfast and brave
Who show tremendous courage in the face of injustice
Only to rise from the ashes and light the torch of freedom and justice

Khaled Nusseibeh is a translator, writer and a poet with several published poetry collections to his name. He holds a BA and MA Degrees from Colombia and Princeton universities in the USA. Mr Nusseibeh was born in Amman in 1961 and is a Jordanian of Palestinian origin.

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Truth Be Told….

Palestinian groups, Monday, said Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi “will remain an icon” for the Palestinian struggle on the local and international levels. 

Eygi, 26, a dual citizen of Türkiye and the US, was shot dead by Israeli forces during a Friday protest against illegal Israeli settlements in the town of Beita in the occupied West Bank.

In a statement, the National and Islamic Forces, an umbrella that includes most of the Palestinian groups, said: “Martyr Aysenur will remain an icon for the struggle and fighting at the Palestinian and international levels.”

“Many solidarity activists join our Palestinian people in the activities of the popular resistance in the towns and villages that are exposed to (Israeli) colonization and expropriation,” the statement read.

The Palestinian groups considered Eygi’s death as a confirmation of Israel’s implementing of the policies of killing, expulsion, and ban-of-entry for international solidarity activists.

The statement stressed the importance for punishing Israel for its indifference towards the life of international solidarity activists who stand against Israeli occupation and settlements construction on the occupied Palestinian territories.

Early on Monday, hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank city of Nablus paid farewell to activist Eygi. The funeral procession began from Rafidia Government Hospital in Nablus, with mourners walking through several streets, chanting slogans condemning Israeli actions and praising foreign supporters, according to an Anadolu reporter.

Eygi’s body is expected to be transported to Türkiye.

The Israeli military has yet to comment on the specifics of the incident or the findings of the autopsy.

Eygi’s killing echoes the case of American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed in a similar manner in 2022.

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Nablus Mourns Slain US-Turkish Activist

 Residents of Nablus in the occupied West Bank held a solemn funeral, Monday, for American-Turkish activist Aysenur Ezgi Egi, who was fatally sniped by Israeli forces during a peaceful protest last Friday.

Egi’s death has triggered widespread condemnation, as she was participating in a nonviolent demonstration opposing Israeli settlement expansion in the town of Beita, south of Nablus according to the Quds News Network.

The funeral prayer took place after her body was released from Rafidia Governmental Hospital in the afternoon.

Local authorities, led by Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas, along with representatives from civil society, gathered to honor her memory. The Palestinian security forces organized an official convoy, underscoring the significant impact of her death on the community.

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