Have a look at this rather bizarre clip starring notorious Hamas TV children’s character Nahool the bee. The clip ultimately arrives at a rather commendable end with a message about being kind to animals, although one might question the means used to deliver the message.
In any case, I mention this only because it’s my second run in with Islamists taking stands on the environment in recent days. It turns out rare sea turtles nest on a stretch of wildnerness beach between Tyre and Nakoura in south Lebanon. A pair of environmentalists, the owners of the quaint Orange House Bed and Breakfast, have been campaigning to make the beach a protected area, but two different municipalities hold sway over the strip of coast in question. To the south, the Amal Party, headed by Nabih Berri, controls the local council. To the north, Hezbollah runs the show.
The turtles’ leadling local advocates said Amal has refused to protect their half of the beach and the rare turtles that nest there. Berri’s wife, it is said, owns a sea front property and hopes at some point down the road to build a sea front resort on the beach. A campaign to stop local fisherman from using dynamite to fish were met with Amal gunman shooting up the home of the local activists and slashing their dog’s leg. The Hezbollah-controlled municipality, meanwhile, was quick to declare their portion of the beach protected.
15 responses so far ↓
1 Hamas TV’s Child Star Saraa « Interesting bees, strange noises, top hats, and the middle east. // Aug 14, 2007 at 10:52 pm
[…] a great post by conflict blotter on Hizbullah being nice to Sea Turtles. Kudos to them. Negative points to Amal for being douchebags to Sea […]
2 Mahmud // Aug 14, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Seriously though, Kudos to Hizbullah and screw Amal.
My family is from Pakistan and we have a beach house near the sea, close to where sea turtles lay their eggs. A good number poor things invariably start crawling the wrong way, we often used to pick them up and send them in the opposite direction. A better solution though would be to make the entire beach a protected zone (like WWF has been trying to do) but too many people (sadly, like my family) already have beach houses.
Baby sea turtles are incredibly cute (if directionally challenged) though.
3 The Arabist » At the zoo // Aug 15, 2007 at 9:58 am
[…] Charles Levinson unearths this disturbing-but-funny-but-disturbing MEMRI clip from Hamas TV about getting children to behave better with animals. It is truly bizarre, but I wouldn’t draw any wider conclusions from it aside from wondering whether there can be a worse place for animals than Gaza zoo (look at how small the lion’s cage is), which is not surprising considering Gaza itself has been turned into an open-air prison for humans. […]
4 British person // Aug 15, 2007 at 1:38 pm
I am a child and think this clip is disgusting! it is so cruel. most of the kids watching this will find it funny and most likely do the same to animals now. i don’t believe anybody could advertise like that. nasty people. i totally disagree with cruelty to animals and think that clip was very disturbing!
5 Global Voices Online » Palestine: Animal-Friendly Hamas // Aug 15, 2007 at 2:19 pm
[…] Charles Levinson links to a Hamas TV children’s programme on cruelty against animals. “The clip ultimately […]
6 Edie // Aug 15, 2007 at 3:04 pm
British Person: If you’re old enough to read political blogs, I’m sure you’ve also seen films (ie. Mean Girls, etc …) where the characters act atrociously, but at the end they realize their mistaken ways and repent and there’s a lovely moral to the story.
I guess there are ‘nasty people’ in Hollywood as well because this clip just follows the same format as those films with Saraa condemning the bee’s actions and telling the viewing children not to treat animals cruelly. Therefore the lesson at the end.
I agree that the bee’s actions were disturbing and pulling the cat’s tale was going too far by our standards, but I think you sell fellow children short by thinking they’ll see this film and act like the bee. You didn’t.
I hate to say it, but also keep in mind where the viewers/show producers live. They see hardship, bloodshed, bombings, death, destruction, malnutrition, sick who can’t get their medicine on a daily basis. Relatively speaking, they probably didn’t think pulling a cat’s tale was shockingly cruel. I’m surprised, but pleased that in that environment they’re taking the time to teach children kindness to animals.
Remember, they’re reality is not our reality.
7 Palestine: Animal-Friendly Hamas | Pilka // Aug 15, 2007 at 3:19 pm
[…] Charles Levinson links to a Hamas TV children’s programme on cruelty against animals. “The clip ultimately […]
8 Mimi // Aug 15, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Bizarre indeed, though I got a kick out of the kid newscaster’s cute fusha at the end.
9 tsedek // Aug 15, 2007 at 8:28 pm
hahahaa… this is the same as giving an example why it’s bad to kill while killing somone to show it
10 Minnie // Aug 15, 2007 at 11:06 pm
I don’t like Nahoul. I miss Farfour - Farfour would have rightfully labeled these cats as Zionist sympathizers and spies and would have beheaded them.
11 Mahmud // Aug 16, 2007 at 4:34 am
hahaha, PETA is on the case apparently;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6948738.stm
not going to help the Charm offensive much…
12 Mahmud // Aug 16, 2007 at 4:41 am
Charles, have you or Checkpoint Jerusalem met Nahool/Farfour? i’d love to see who he actually is. Al Jaz English has an interview with the station staff at Al Aqsa, but they don’t show Nahool’s face
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gqthkdPaa2I
As far as I can tell he’s the same guy (i am not sure if the body does the voice too) but what compels him to get into an uncomfortable bee suit every week for Hamas would be interesting.
13 Don Cox // Aug 16, 2007 at 9:25 am
“what compels him to get into an uncomfortable bee suit every week “____Money probably. Everyone has to earn a living.
14 Melissa // Jul 15, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Very good site! I like it! Thanks!
15 Hannes // Nov 11, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Dont panic! Its war!
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