In a heartfelt ceremony at the Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre on Sept. 22, Carleton University paid tribute to Shireen Abu Akleh, a renowned Palestinian journalist who was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier while reporting from the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank in 2022.
The event saw the launch of the Shireen Abu Akleh Emerging Reporter Award in Social Justice Journalism, a fitting testament to the legacy of a journalist and advocate for justice in Palestine.
The award, established by the Carleton School of Journalism and Communication with the support of donors Shawky Fahel, Maher Arar and Monia Mazigh, aims to perpetuate Abu Akleh’s legacy by encouraging emerging journalists in their last year of undergraduate or graduate studies to delve into social justice issues.
Students interested in the award will be required to submit proposals for journalism projects that shed light on significant social justice matters.
Abu Akleh’s career with news organization Al Jazeera spanned nearly three decades, where she covered some of the most significant events in Palestine and provided a voice to those living under occupation.
Allan Thompson, director of the school of journalism and communication, honoured Abu Akleh’s journalistic contributions in his remarks at the event.
“We owe so much to Shireen, for her contribution over the decades to our collective understanding of what it means to live under occupation. To truly understand our world, we need a multiplicity of voices. Shireen brought us many of these voices, voices that might not otherwise have been heard,” Thompson said.
Abu Akleh’s brother, Tony Abu Akleh, commended the initiative and expressed his belief that Abu Akleh’s voice would continue to resonate through the work of emerging journalists who receive the award. He said he hopes it will inspire young journalists, especially Arab women, to follow her legacy.
“I’m sure with a persistent generation like the one we have here [at] Carleton University and all over the world, Shireen’s voice will still be there,” he said at the event. “Shireen was a role model for many aspiring journalists in the region, particularly women.”
Chief Representative of the Palestinian General Delegation Mona Abuamara highlighted Abu Akleh’s legacy and the importance of her work to the Palestinian cause.
“Shireen, our beloved Jerusalemite journalist, exposed the occupation during her life, and even more so after her murder. But now, she is also exposing prejudice and double standards, everyday since,” Abuamara said at the event.
Abuamara also hopes that this award will inspire young journalists at Carleton to follow their dreams.
“I am really proud of all the students who are trying to seek the truth and seek justice,” Abuamara said. “We have high hopes for you and we want to tell you that you are part of why the Palestinian cause has lived on so long and will live on until it perseveres and until Palestine is freed.”
Event attendees included students, faculty members and representatives from the Palestinian community in Ottawa. The overwhelming sentiment among attendees was one of pride in Carleton University for creating an award that recognized the importance of social justice journalism to keep Abu Akleh’s legacy alive.
Iyad Isleem, a master’s student in networking from Gaza, Palestine, expressed his gratitude for Abu Akleh’s recognition at the university.
“As a Palestinian, we’re usually not used to people recognizing our suffering and our pain,” Isleem said. “I was very proud to be here.”
The tribute also included a concert by renowned oud player Abdul-Wahab Kayyali and cellist Sheila Hannigan. The musicians played various Arabic songs. The last piece Kayyali and Hannigan performed, titled “Return,” was about returning to Palestine.
“I thought this would be a very powerful inspiration because Shireen actually could have lived anywhere in the world. As a U.S. citizen, she could live in the United States, she could’ve lived anywhere else, but she chose to return to Palestine,” Kayyali said.
“She chose living in Palestine. She believed in Palestine, she believed in the right to return to Palestine. So this piece is called “Return.” It’s dedicated to Shireen.”
Featured image by L. Manuel Baechlin/Carleton University School of Journalism and Communication].
