Tomorrow's Pioneers
Palestinian television programme
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tomorrow's Pioneers[a] is a Palestinian children's television show that was broadcast by the Hamas-run television station Al-Aqsa TV from April 2007 until October 2009, and broadcast online until 22 July 2022. Created and edited by Hazim Al-Sha'arawi and directed by Samir Abu Muhssen, the show was hosted by Saraa Barhoum, later by a presenter named Maryam, alongside a succession of large costumed characters. Presented in a children's educational format similar to shows like Sesame Street and Barney & Friends, Tomorrow's Pioneers taught Islamic morals and values, periodically quoting the Quran. The characters performed skits and discussed life in Palestine in a talk show fashion with call-ins from young children.
- Hazim Al-Sha'arawi
- Saraa Barhoum
- Mohammed Alareer
- Maryam
| Tomorrow's Pioneers | |
|---|---|
| Arabic | رواد الغد |
| Created by | Hazim Al-Sha'arawi |
| Directed by | Samir Abu Muhssen |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | Palestine |
| Original language | Arabic |
| Production | |
| Editor | Hazim Al-Sha'arawi |
| Original release | |
| Network | Al-Aqsa TV |
| Release | April 2007 – 22 July 2022 |
According to a 2010 statement by Anti-Defamation League Deputy National Director Kenneth Jacobson, the show contains antisemitic and anti-Western themes.[1] Others have regarded the show as a reflection of life in the occupied territory. Criticism of the show has not been exclusive to the West, since Palestinians within Gaza do not entirely support Hamas's control over children's media.
In 2007, Tomorrow's Pioneers gained attention from Disney, which later requested that the first co-host, Farfour, be written out of the show due to his strong resemblance to Mickey Mouse.[2] Farfour was killed in what the show referred to as a martyrdom. He was replaced by a giant bumblebee named Nahoul, who was in turn succeeded by Assoud the rabbit, Nassur the bear, and Karkour the chicken. Nahoul came back in late 2013, but in the following year, the actor who played him and Karkour, Mohammed Alareer, was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Following Farfour's recognition, Tomorrow's Pioneers was pulled from Al-Aqsa TV and placed under review at the request of Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti's ministry. In 2008, the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs passed House Resolution 1069, which called on the Bush administration to designate Al-Aqsa TV as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity.
The English translation of the show by American non-profit organisation MEMRI faced criticism in 2007 from CNN Arabic and Brian Whitaker of The Guardian for containing errors, undue emphasis, and potential bias. MEMRI president Yigal Carmon was later invited onto political commentator Glenn Beck's programme and defended the accuracy of MEMRI's translation.
Background
The Palestinian nationalist organisation Hamas considers media a "decisive weapon"[3] that effectively spreads information in support of the organisation and its ideologies via newspapers, leaflets, websites, television, radio, affiliated mosques, vocal groups and trading cards.[4][5] According to Thomas David Parker, Hamas focuses especially on children, with the organisation referring to the practice as "training the Muslim generation" or "Islamisation from below". The organisation hosts youth summer camps that focus on religion, politics, developing computer skills, and, occasionally, using firearms.[6]
The use of media to spread messages or ideologies is not exclusive to Hamas; in a 2002 letter to Taliban founder Mullah Omar, Osama bin Laden referred to media as "one of the strongest methods" of spreading information in the 21st century. Al-Qaeda strategist Abu Bakr Naji, when referring to the concept of soft power popularised by Joseph Nye, categorised the resources of global powers as either "almighty military power[s]" or "deceptive media halo[s]".[7] Hamas, along with Hezbollah, categorise the audiences of their media into various groups, such as the "international public", the Arab world, and the Palestinian or Lebanese peoples.[8]
On 9 January 2006, after Hamas won the Palestinian legislative election, the organisation launched a channel, Al-Aqsa TV,[9] due to Hamas's rising influence in the Gaza Strip.[10] The children's shows broadcast on Al-Aqsa TV, such as Tomorrow's Pioneers, spread Hamas's ideologies, which, according to a 2010 statement by Anti-Defamation League Deputy National Director Kenneth Jacobson, include antisemitism and anti-Western sentiment.[1] Additionally, Hamas's stance on Jews is derived from what the organisation believes to be the roots of Islam, according to Itamar Marcus of Palestinian Media Watch (PMW),[11] and the version of Islam in Hamas's media, according to Lybarger, includes elements of Palestinian nationalism.[10]
Production and format
Tomorrow's Pioneers was directed by Samir Abu Muhssen and was also created and edited by Hazim Al-Sha'arawi,[12][13] who moderated an earlier Hamas-broadcast radio programme called Afnan and Aghsan.[b][14] Tomorrow's Pioneers's viewership has not been estimated or officially announced, but during its run, Al-Sha'arawi, who played the character Uncle Hazim,[c][11] attracted up to 10 thousand children during Hamas-sponsored festivals.[7]
Tomorrow's Pioneers revolves around a host, originally Saraa Barhoum,[d][15][16] and a costumed character performing comedic or educational skits and discussing life in Palestine,[17][15] similar to children's shows like Sesame Street and Barney & Friends.[18] The show included call-ins from children who were as young as nine years old and occasionally sang their own anashid.[15][19][18] The target age of the show's audience, referred to as "soldiers",[15] is debated; Al-Aqsa TV said it was between three and seven years old,[8] but France 24 pinpointed the show's demographic as between seven and thirteen.[20]
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Al-Aqsa TV director Fathi Hamad said Tomorrow's Pioneers was intended to remind the audience, particularly those belonging to the Palestinian diaspora, about their cause and to "expose" the situation between Israel and Palestine.[13] Before the show began airing, Al-Sha'arawi said in a The New York Times interview that the show's message would not "[get] into the tanks, the guns, the killing and the blood", but show Palestinian rights "through the history".[5] The show, alongside other Hamas media, periodically quoted the Quran and taught children Islamic traditions and customs, such as performing one's daily prayers,[5][21][22] as well as healthy habits like the importance of drinking milk.[2][23][24] The show also discussed topics such as jihad, antisemitism, and opposition to the United States and the Western world.[1]
Broadcast history
Tomorrow's Pioneers was first broadcast on 13 April 2007.[25] Episodes were intended to be aired on Fridays at 4 pm PST,[26] but due to political instability and the regional conflict between Hamas and Fatah, the show did not maintain consistent broadcasting. During the Battle of Gaza in June 2007, the Al-Aqsa TV station was taken over and shut down by Fatah gunmen.[27][28] Hamas eventually gained control of Gaza, and Fatah forces withdrew.[13]
In May 2007, Mustafa Barghouti, former Palestinian Information Minister, criticised the character Farfour as a "mistaken approach". His ministry requested the removal of Tomorrow's Pioneers from Al-Aqsa TV for review following Farfour's international attention due to the character's resemblance to Mickey Mouse.[29] In response, Hamad said that the show did not violate any ethical standards,[30] adding that the criticism was designed by Western and occupying powers to oppose Islam and the Palestinian cause.[24] An Al-Aqsa TV representative responded to Barghouti's statements, adding that "[he] misunderstood the issue",[26] and Hamad denied Barghouti's response, adding that Al-Aqsa TV would not stop broadcasting Tomorrow's Pioneers.[31] Fatah began broadcasting a competing children's show, which also used the likeness of Disney characters, on the official Palestinian Authority TV network in September 2008.[32] In October 2009,[5] following complaints by members of the Palestinian Authority (PA), the PA pulled Tomorrow's Pioneers from Al-Aqsa TV, but the show aired on other Middle Eastern television stations, as well as on the Internet.[16] Following a sporadic broadcasting schedule in the 2010s, Tomorrow's Pioneers's final episode aired on 22 July 2022.[33]
Characters
Saraa Barhoum
Saraa Barhoum was around 10–11 years old when the show started.[34] She has seven siblings,[15] and her uncle, Fawzi Barhoum, was a Hamas spokesman.[11][16] Saraa was chosen as the host of Tomorrow's Pioneers after she entered a singing competition.[15] In an August 2007 interview, Saraa said she wanted to be a medical practitioner, and if not that, then a martyr.[34] In late 2013, Saraa was replaced by a new host, Maryam.[e][35]
Farfour
Farfour[f] was a mouse from Haifa whose design resembled Mickey Mouse.[36][37] He had a high-pitched voice and co-hosted Tomorrow's Pioneers with Saraa.[18][38][20] On the show, Farfour had expressed pro-Islamist views, stating that he and Saraa "are laying the foundation for a world led by Islamists" and that they "will return the Islamic community to its former greatness" by liberating Jerusalem and Iraq, among other locations.[37] In an episode titled "Farfour and the AK-47",[39] he simulated shooting an AK-47 and throwing stones.[40][19][18] In his final appearance on 29 June 2007, Farfour was imprisoned and later beaten to death during an interrogation by an Israeli official, who was trying to buy Farfour's land.[20][41] The story arc in which Farfour was killed was created by Al-Sha'arawi.[11]
From an Islamic perspective, the decision to make Farfour a mouse was unconventional. According to Islamic law and Saudi cleric Muhammad al-Munajid, rodents and rodent characters such as Mickey Mouse generally have a negative image in Islam, hence why Farfour was killed.[21] In a hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari, the prophet Muhammad lists rats as one of the five harmful animals, alongside scorpions, kites, crows, and rabid dogs.[42] Emmanuel Karagiannis, in the Routledge Handbook of Political Islam, mentions how Hamas ignored the reputation of Farfour's species due to his popularity among the show's young audience.[21]
Nahoul and Karkour
Nahoul[g] was a bumblebee with a high-pitched voice who co-hosted Tomorrow's Pioneers with Saraa after Farfour's death,[20] which was referred to in the show as a "martyrdom".[41] He introduced himself as Farfour's cousin, and promised to continue in the path of martyrdom.[43][44] According to Karagiannis and Al-Sha'arawi,[13] the choice to make Nahoul a bee was an intentional reference to the 16th chapter of the Quran, An-Nahl, which translates to "The Bee" in English. In the Quran, the bee represents dedication and success.[21] Following Nahoul's introduction, Muhssen told Al Jazeera that additional characters were planned for Tomorrow's Pioneers, but they were not intended to replace Nahoul.[13]
PETA spokesman Martin Mersereau criticised a segment where Nahoul threw stones at lions and swung cats by their tails at the Gaza Zoo,[21] arguing that despite the show's intent to teach children not to abuse animals by showing bad behaviour, children would likely mimic Nahoul. Mersereau added that teaching children to respect animals helps them respect other people.[45] In February 2008, it was revealed that Nahoul was terminally ill. He and his parents sought to travel to Al-Arish, Egypt, for medical treatment, but Israeli authorities denied them permission to leave Gaza. He died and was replaced by Assoud,[h] a rabbit.[16][46] Like Farfour, Nahoul's death was referred to in the show as a "martyrdom".[21][16]
In March 2013,[47] a chicken named Karkour[i] was introduced. He was described as mischievous by his actor's brother, Refaat Alareer. Karkour made many errors on the show, such as jaywalking and screaming on the telephone. He gained attention from children across the Arab world, who called him to correct his behaviour, but by the next episode, he went back to misbehaving.[48]
Nahoul was resurrected in late 2013,[35] telling children that if they encountered Jews, they should stone or beat them until their faces become as "red as a tomato".[49] In another episode, Maryam explained to Nahoul the concept of negotiations, which involves forgiving the Zionists for the deaths of numerous martyrs and sharing Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but she later said that she chose the path of resistance.[35] On 28 July 2014, the actor who played Nahoul and Karkour, Mohammed Alareer, was killed by Israeli missiles at the age of 31.[50][48]
Assoud and Nassur
Assoud was a rabbit who replaced Nahoul, who died of illness due to the blockade in Gaza, as the show's co-host.[16][46] He introduced himself as a member of the Palestinian diaspora.[21] In explaining why he is called Assoud, when Arnoub[j] would be more appropriate, he said that "a rabbit is a term for a bad person and coward", and that he "will finish off the Jews and eat them".[46] In "Assoud vs Denmark",[39] he addressed the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, vowing to assassinate the magazine's illustrators.[15] Assoud was later killed in an airstrike and was succeeded by Nassur,[k] a brown bear, as the show's co-host.[5][16]
Nassur claims to have come to the Gaza Strip to join the military wing of Hamas, al-Qassam Brigades, thereby becoming one of the mujahideen.[51][5] In the episode "Nassur and the Children of Reem Riyashi", he and Saraa invited the children of Reem Riyashi—Hamas's first female suicide bomber and the perpetrator of the 2004 Erez Crossing bombing on 14 January–onto the studio.[5][52] The children and the two hosts then watched a music video re-enacting the events leading up to the bombing.[53] In a later episode, Nassur claimed to know Hebrew, but when Saraa told him to speak the language, he denied it.[54] Unlike the previous three co-hosts, Nassur survived the show's original run, which ended in October 2009.[16][5]
Compared to the prior two co-hosts of Tomorrow's Pioneers, Assoud and Nassur, being a rabbit and a bear, respectively, held less religious significance. While rabbit meat, which is not mentioned in the Quran, is considered halal by Sunni Muslims, Islamic scholar Ali al-Sistani argued that rabbit and bear meat are considered haram by Shia Muslims. Karagiannis believes that Hamas chose Assoud for his kid-friendly design as opposed to conveying any religious meaning.[21] Daniel Horowitz, in an analysis of fictional bears in American culture, described bears in children's shows as generally friendly and comical, but listed Nassur as one of the exceptions.[55]
List of episodes
Due to limited coverage, some episodes might not appear in this list, and most episodes do not have verifiable titles.
| Title [39] | Directed by [13] | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | Samir Abu Muhssen | 13 April 2007[25] | |
|
Farfour and Saraa discuss martyrdom and the reclamation of Al-Aqsa with Sanabel, a call-in guest. Saraa then discusses the goals of fasting, praying, reciting the Quran, and studying and speaking classical Arabic. Farfour is later caught speaking English by Uncle Hazim, who chastises him. Saraa explains to Farfour that he must have pride in his Arabic language and that Islamic culture is a dominant global power. Saraa adds that the show, whose audience Farfour refers to as "tomorrow's pioneers", shall act as a "nucleus" for the reunification of Gaza, Jerusalem, and Ramallah into one Palestine. | |||
| TBA | Samir Abu Muhssen | 16 April 2007[56] or 23 April 2007[57] | |
|
Farfour reacts negatively to a song sung by a call-in guest, Esraa (12). Esraa used the word "surrender" in her song and Saraa explains that they do not want to surrender, they want to win. Farfour agrees, telling various American and Israeli politicians, such as George W. Bush, Ehud Olmert, and Condoleezza Rice, that "we will win!" | |||
| "Farfour and the AK-47" | Samir Abu Muhssen | 30 April 2007[19] | |
|
A call-in guest, Harwa (11), sings a song about answering the Gaza Strip town of Rafah with AK-47s, which Farfour enacts in pantomime. Later, a second call-in guest, Muhammad (12) sings "Oh Jerusalem, it is the time of death". Saraa also tells Farfour the importance of memorising the entire Quran. | |||
| TBA | Samir Abu Muhssen | 11 May 2007[58] | |
|
Farfour prepares for and takes his year-end examinations. He cheats using a cheat sheet during the test and when questioned by Uncle Hazim, he explains that the Jews bombed his home, forcing him to leave his school supplies behind. He soon learns that cheating is forbidden and fails the test. Afterwards, Uncle Hazim tells Farfour that he should strive to be like scientists and academics like Jābir ibn Hayyān, and he tells the audience to continue studying, in spite of Jewish efforts. Uncle Hazim then explains to the audience that Islam has made the world more secure. He tells the audience to ask the Jews about Al-Andalus, and to ask the Christians how they remain secure in their buildings of worship. | |||
| TBA | Samir Abu Muhssen | 29 June 2007[41][59] | |
|
Farfour's grandfather tells him the history of Tel Aviv, stating that the land was originally called Tel Al-Rabi. He says that the Jews renamed the city after the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. Farfour's grandfather gives him the key and documents to the land before dying, and Farfour expresses anxiety over his ability to liberate Palestine. Farfour is then taken to a room where he is interrogated by an Israeli official trying to buy Farfour's land. After refusing to sell the land and calling him a terrorist, Farfour is beaten to death. Saraa later confirmed that Farfour was martyred while defending his land. | |||
| TBA | Samir Abu Muhssen | 13 July 2007[44] | |
|
Nahoul, the bumblebee cousin of the deceased mouse Farfour, pledges to continue on the path of Islam, referencing martyrdom and the mujahideen in the process. He also explains his intentions to liberate Al-Aqsa from the enemies of God. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 10 August 2007[60] | |
|
Nahoul and Saraa discuss the occupation of Al-Aqsa, which he suggests is very sad due to being besieged by the Zionists. Nahoul then instructs the audience how to get ahold of the key to Al-Aqsa, which is achieved through morning prayer, blood, sacrifice, pain, martyrs, and endurance. Saraa then suggests they examine what Nahoul has been doing recently, emphasising a visit to the Gaza Zoo where he abused animals – connected to a story from the Hadith in which a woman was sent to Hell because she locked up a cat until it died of starvation.[61] | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 20 December 2007[62] | |
|
It is Eid al-Adha and Saraa, with backup from a male choir, sings for the audience and an Al-Aqsa news reporter. She sings that they liberated Gaza City, not by the Oslo Accords, but by force. After singing about the Palestinian victory during the intifada, she joins Nahoul, who is outside wearing a necktie and a party hat. Saraa asks him if he would like to give holiday greetings for Eid al-Adha, but Nahoul laments that he has next to no family to convey greetings to, since his two brothers and his aunt were martyred in the First and Second Intifadas, and the Battle of Jenin, respectively. He adds that his mother suffers from diabetes, and his father has hepatitis C. Hadil, a call-in guest, discusses the sacrifice of a calf that their family made. Yaquin (13) from Gaza calls in and Nahoul laughs at her, unable to remember her name. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 1 February 2008[63] | |
|
Nahoul is deathly ill. His parents tried to bring him to Al-Arish, but they were denied from leaving Palestine by Israeli officials. After Nahoul dies, the audience is introduced to his brother, a rabbit named Assoud. When Assoud asks where Nahoul is, the parents at first pretend that he has gone on a walk at night and will be back shortly, but then they finally tell Assoud that Nahoul was martyred. Assoud is heartbroken and is determined to take up Nahoul's path just as Nahoul had taken up Farfour's. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 8 February 2008[64] | |
|
Travelling to Al-Aqsa TV headquarters, Assoud tells the audience that he is from the Palestinian diaspora carrying the "Key of Return", which he plans to free Al-Aqsa with. Saraa greets him and explains to the audience that he will be the new co-host. Assoud asks her if they seek martyrdom, to which Saraa agrees. Assoud restates that the viewers are the pioneers of tomorrow, and the episode ends with him declaring that he will eat the Jews in the name of God. | |||
| "Assoud vs Denmark" | Unknown | 22 February 2008[64] | |
|
Assoud rails against the Danish Jyllands-Posten cartoonists responsible for the Muhammad cartoons following their reprinting. He and Saraa discuss redeeming Muhammad with Amani, a call-in guest, and they warn the cartoonists that God will punish them for insulting the prophet. Saraa instructs Amani to boycott Danish and Israeli products. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 9 May 2008[65] | |
|
Assoud visits his surviving grandfather—the first of whom died in the episode where Farfour was killed—who tells Assoud the history of various Palestinian cities. In response to Assoud's questions about where the family had originally lived, Assoud's grandfather tells him that they lived in Tel Al-Rabi. Assoud tells him that the city does not exist and inquires if he is senile, which his grandfather denies. He explains that Tel Al-Rabi was Hebraicised to Tel Aviv. He goes on to say that Tel Al-Rabi belongs to Palestine, offering documentation as proof. He adds that Ashdod is actually Isdud, Ashkelon is Al-Majdal, and Al-Sab' had been renamed to Beer Sheva, among other name changes. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 11 July 2008[66] | |
|
Assoud is tempted to steal some money from his father, but is smitten with conscience. Iblis then arrives and promises Assoud that no one will know about the theft. Assoud relents and takes two bills despite Iblis's recommendation to take three. Later, a call-in guest chides Assoud for his theft, explaining that his actions had worsened the relationship between his parents and that stealing leads to Hell. Assoud is also told that his hand would get chopped off if he lived in Saudi Arabia. Saraa takes notes and discusses Assoud's punishment with call-in guests, Asmaa and Nur, who in deference to the Quran agree with the amputation. After Assoud begs for mercy, Nur opines that if Saraa were to steal something, her hand should not be cut off. He adds that Assoud never stolen so much as a shekel even as a child, and if Assoud has repented and promised never to do it again, then his hand should remain attached. Saraa offers that his ear be chopped off instead, and Assoud again begs for mercy as she smiles at the camera. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 2 January 2009[67] | |
|
Assoud is gravely injured during Israeli attacks on Gaza during the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict. He succumbs to his injuries and dies some time later in the hospital. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 13 February 2009[68] | |
|
Nassur has arrived in the Gaza Strip just in time to become Saraa's new co-host. In his debut episode, Nassur shares with the audience his reasons for coming. These reasons include becoming one of the mujahideen, becoming a member of al-Qassam Brigades, performing jihad, and carrying a gun in order to defend the Palestinian youths. | |||
| "Nassur and the Children of Reem Riyashi" | Unknown | 3 July 2009[69] | |
|
Nassur and Saraa spend the day with the children of Reem Riyashi, a Palestinian suicide bomber who is described as a shahid. In an attempt to explain Riyashi's patriotism to her children, the hosts created a music video re-enacting her preparing for the 2004 Erez Crossing bombing. After Riyashi's eldest daughter expresses her desire to be like her when she grows up, Saraa delivers a stern warning that the Palestinians will follow Riyashi's example until their homeland is liberated. | |||
| "Nassur and the Expulsion of the Jews" | Unknown | 22 September 2009[70] | |
|
Nassur and Saraa have a disagreement about what the expulsion of the Jews means. Saraa believes in a more peaceful approach, as they should be "chased away" and that nothing should be done to them in the process. Nassur, on the other hand, endorses a more violent method. Saraa eventually concedes, and the two compromise that if the Jews do not want to leave peacefully, they will resort to violence. Nassur goes on to explain his plan that after the expulsion, Jerusalem will become a new Qaaba-like point of pilgrimage for Muslims. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 16 October 2009[54] | |
|
Nassur and Saraa discuss with a call-in guest the merits of learning English and Hebrew. Saraa explains that knowing their enemies' languages is important in order to establish contact with them. Nassur also claims to know Hebrew, but upon being told by Saraa to speak the language, he immediately denies the claim. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 4 December 2009[71] | |
|
Nassur and Saraa watch a cartoon about education in Islam and how it differs from education in Israel. In the cartoon, a Jewish boy drops some money and a Palestinian Arab boy, named Muataz, picks it up. The Jewish boy tells Muataz the negative traits his teacher taught him about Arabs, which did not directly apply to Muataz. When asked why he did not steal the money, Muataz replies that Islam teaches honesty, despite the Jewish boy's brother telling him otherwise. Muataz also tells the Jewish boy that his family used to have a garden and a large home, but their property was destroyed by the Jews. The Jewish boy asks Muataz what he has learned, to which he says that his land can only be taken back by force. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 22 January 2010[72][73] | |
|
Saraa asks a call-in guest how she felt during the 2008–2009 Gaza War. The guest, a ten-year-old girl, denies being afraid of dying during the war, stating that she wanted to be a martyr for God. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 5 February 2010[74][75][76] | |
|
Raad, a call-in guest from Hebron, sings about his father gifting him a machine gun and a rifle, and expresses the desire to join al-Qassam Brigades when he grows up. After singing about Palestine's victory over Israel and the United States, Raad curses during the song when referring to Israel, prompting Saraa to interrupt it. She tells him that the programme is for children, although Nassur agrees with Raad's song. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 12 May 2010[77] | |
|
Nassur tells the audience about martyrdom. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 29 March 2013[47] | |
|
Karkour the chicken invites the grandchildren of Hamas member Umm Nidal onto the show. They discuss the achievements of her children, such as the Qassam rocket, which was built by Nidal Farhat. The grandchildren say they are proud to have Umm Nidal as their grandmother and that her son was a martyr. The presenter, a girl wearing a hijab, tells one of the grandchildren, Jinan, to tell the audience about the events leading up to Umm Nidal's death, including seeing Emad Akel and her sons in a dream a day before she returned to Gaza from Egypt. Umm Nidal, as Jinan explains, wanted to die in her homeland. One of Umm Nidal's granddaughters makes a call to action directed at Muslim women to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and for the mothers to send their sons to victory or Heaven. After the children sing together about the Qassam rocket and suicide bomber Fatma Omar An-Najar, Karkour requests a round of applause. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 29 November 2013[78] | |
|
Maryam explains the concept of negotiations to Nahoul. She says that it involves forgiving the Zionists for the deaths of multiple martyrs, as well as dividing Jerusalem and giving up half of the Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Israelis. Following Nahoul's backlash, he asks if Maryam supported negotiations, to which Maryam denies by making a hand gesture. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 2 May 2014[79][80] | |
|
Nahoul asks Qays,[l] a guest from Jenin, if there are Jews in his area, to which Qays denies. Meanwhile, Maryam asks another guest, a girl named Tulin, why she wants to be a policewoman. Tulin mentions her uncle Ahmed, who is a policeman, as inspiration. Nahoul tells them what police officers do, and when Maryam asks if Tulin wants to be like Ahmed, she agrees. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 16 May 2014[81] | |
|
A girl named Zahra Zaed recites "The Bullet", a poem to remember the Nakba. When recalling what happened to her family during the event, she said that she would buy a bullet, no matter how expensive it would be, to which Nahoul showed his support. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 23 May 2014[82] | |
|
A call-in guest is given a pop quiz about the capitals of various Arab countries, including Jordan, Qatar and Egypt. When asked what the capital of Israel is, she says Israel does not exist, and Nahoul and Maryam affirm her response. | |||
| TBA | Unknown | 15 July 2022[83] | |
|
A costumed man asks a girl what she knows about the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which she refers to as the capital of Palestine that must be defended from Jewish forces. The man discusses liberating Palestine with a boy, who suggests abiding by traditional Islamic law and praying every morning in the mosque. The man adds that they must wage jihad, and later theorises that the Jews are digging tunnels under the mosque so they can replace the Dome of the Rock with the false Solomon's Temple. | |||
Reception and reactions
Following Farfour's introduction and death in 2007, Tomorrow's Pioneers garnered global attention.[2][5][18][59][84] Proponents of the show, including Al-Watan Voice writer Imad Afana, believe that Saraa Barhoum was "incapable of incitement" due to her young age when the show aired.[85] It has also been suggested by Barghouti and Afana that, holding judgment aside, the show's content is simply reflective of life in the occupied territory.[26][85] Defenders of the show have argued that the show has been criticised because, unlike other Arabic television stations, Al-Aqsa TV reflects a view of Palestinian thought unfettered by Western mores.[86] In 2011, Saraa Barhoum defended the programme and condemned terrorism, saying that the Palestinians are "defending [their] homeland" and do not want civilians on any side to die.[15]
The Disney corporation initially had no public statement on the use of Mickey Mouse's image in the Farfour character, since they expected that the programme would not have any effect. In May 2007, Disney CEO Robert Iger said the company was "appalled by the use of [their] character to disseminate that kind of message", explaining the initial lack of response came from the belief that "it should have been obvious how [Disney] felt about the subject".[87] Walt Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, asserted to the press that "[i]t's not just [about] Mickey", but the general themes of Tomorrow's Pioneers,[40] and she requested that Farfour be written out of the show.[2] Al-Sha'arawi, in an interview with Al Jazeera, denied intentionally copying Mickey Mouse's resemblance, saying that Al-Aqsa TV wanted to create a character popular with children.[13] Following Disney's request to remove Farfour from the show, the Olmert administration requested that Tomorrow's Pioneers be discontinued.[17]
In 2008, the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs unanimously passed House Resolution 1069, which was described as "condemning Middle East media that incites violence against Americans and the United States and our ally Israel", specifically targeting Al-Aqsa TV for "promoting anti-Semitism and terrorism aimed at Americans and Israelis" and calling on the Bush administration to designate the station as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).[88] Al-Aqsa TV was labelled an SDGT by the United States Department of the Treasury in March 2010; three months later, Eutelsat was ordered to cease broadcast of Al-Aqsa TV, as the European Commission said that it violated European anti-incitement laws.[89]
In 2012, religious leaders in the United Kingdom worried that due to the programme's accessibility on online platforms like YouTube, British children could be influenced by the messages in Tomorrow's Pioneers, particularly those of Assoud. Furthermore, the Association of Muslim Schools in the United Kingdom opposed the programme, with spokesman Mohamed Mukadam saying that it "promotes the killing or injuring of human beings".[15] To counteract the purported themes of Hamas-affiliated programming like Tomorrow's Pioneers, Israeli Educational Television and the United States Children's Television Workshop created a show about a street where Arabs and Israelis lived together peacefully. The show featured clips created by child psychologists to help viewers who were struggling with trauma.[16]
Criticisms concerning the content and methods employed in Tomorrow's Pioneers have come from a variety of sources and communities. Arab critics and psychologists have suggested that the show has potential to introduce bias in children at an age when they are unable to properly differentiate between political viewpoints.[90][37] Responses from the United States and Israel have been largely critical of Tomorrow's Pioneers, Al-Aqsa TV, and Hamas as a whole.[17][89][86] Other Americans, such as political scientist Daniel Byman, saw the concept of Tomorrow's Pioneers as comedic, but acknowledged the severity of the situation in Israel and Palestine.[51] Professor Mia Bloom and psychologist John Horgan, who wrote Small Arms: Children and Terrorism (2019), said that Farfour tells the young audience that "the ultimate goal is to be a shahid",[91] and other Arab and Palestinian critics have suggested that the show is nothing short of an indoctrination attempt aimed at children.[92] Furthermore, Palestinians within Gaza are not wholly supportive of Hamas's control over the mosques and children's media.[11]
MEMRI translation
In 2007, commentators such as Brian Whitaker, the Middle East editor for British newspaper The Guardian; and CNN's Arabic department noted that the transcript of Tomorrow's Pioneers provided by the American non-profit organisation MEMRI contains numerous translation errors and undue emphases.[93] Whitaker wrote in a blog for the newspaper that in the video, which shows Farfour eliciting political comments from a young girl named Sanabel, the MEMRI transcript misrepresents the segment where he asks what she will do. MEMRI attributed a sentence said by Farfour to Sanabel, "I'll shoot",[94] while ignoring her actual reply, "I'm going to draw a picture".[93][95] Whitaker and others commented that a statement uttered by Sanabel, "We're going to [or want to] resist",[93] had been interpreted by MEMRI as "We want to fight".[94] Also, where MEMRI translated her as saying "We will annihilate the Jews",[94] Whitaker and CNN's Arabic department insisted that she either said "The Jews [will] shoot us"[93] or "The Jews are killing us."[96] Finally, Whitaker believed MEMRI's interpretation "I will commit martyrdom"[94] made Sanabel sound more deliberate, so he and Mona Baker suggested "I'll become a martyr" or "we'll become martyrs" as more appropriate alternatives.[93][95]
Conservative television host Glenn Beck had planned to run MEMRI's translation on his radio programme but was stopped by his producer. Beck then invited Yigal Carmon, the founder and President of MEMRI and a former IDF Intelligence colonel, onto the programme. Carmon denounced CNN's Arabic translation and defended the context and syntax of MEMRI's translation of the show.[93][96][95]
See also
Notes
- Arabic: أفنان وأغصان, lit. 'Branches and Twigs'
- Also rendered as Uncle Hazem
- Arabic: سرّاء برهوم
- Arabic: مريم; also rendered as Mariam
- Arabic: فرفور; also rendered as Farfur
- Arabic: نحول; also rendered as Nahul or Nahool
- Arabic: كركور
- Arabic: أرنب, lit. 'rabbit'
- Arabic: نصور
- also rendered as Qais