Evening to cherish

"I will continue reporting news for my Palestinian people even if I am honoured as a martyr next time ... I am the sister of a shaheed (martyr in Arabic)."

These were the words of Laila Odeh, Abu Dhabi TV correspondent in Palestine. She was shot in the leg by Israeli bullets two weeks back. She was speaking when honoured during the Arab Media Awards gala ceremony on Monday.

Laila's words were echoed by the MBC correspondent in Jerusalem, Daniela Khallaf. With eyes full of tears she dedicated her award to her father, a martyr, and the Palestinian people who are exposed daily to barbaric acts by Israeli attackers.

"My colleagues said words fail to describe our feelings tonight... Cameras don't. I will continue to fight with my camera... I will continue to shoot what I want without bias," said Talal Abu Rahmeh, the best breaking news award winner. He had filmed the brutal Israeli shooting of Mohammed Al Dura, an innocent Palestinian boy, and his film had emotionally charged millions of Arabs.
The feelings of Laila, Daniela and Talal were no different than those of the dignitaries, leading media professionals, honoured journalists and other media personalities attending the event.

Al Aqsa Intifada was surely the hero of the prestigious Arab Media Awards gala ceremony. Most of the winners dedicated their prizes to Palestinian Intifada martyrs and most of the audience was in sympathy and solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people.

While guests' views varied on the strong presence of female journalists as winners and the clear dominance of the Lebanese and Egyptian media at the awards, everyone bonded with Al Aqsa Intifada when scenes of barbaric Israeli attacks on Palestinians were screened at the beginning of the ceremony.

Those who attended also praised the objectivity of the criteria for selecting the winners. They wondered whether new categories would be added and felt the Arab Media Summit had discussed vital issues and was a major meeting point for Arab media professionals.