Family split over exhuming Arafat’s body

Ramallah: Family members of former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who is suspected of having been poisoned by radioactive polonium, are split over the issue of exhuming Arafat’s body for an autopsy.

Suha, Arafat’s widow, insists they continue on with the request to exhume Arafat’s body, while other family members, including Nasser Al Qedwah, believe that the available information is enough and that there is no need for exhumation.

“It is all about Arafat’s family which should come to a unanimous decision about exhuming his body for an autopsy,” Jamal Muhaisen, a member of Fatah Central committee told Gulf News.

He stressed that the Muslim Fatwa, which clearly states that exhuming Arafat’s body for an autopsy is not inappropriate in relation to Islam, has already been secured. “We will wait for the family’s decision and any request they make, which should be submitted to the Palestinian General Prosecutor Ahmad Al Mughni,” he said.

He stressed that Palestinian National Authority (PNA) will have nothing to do with the decision. Arafat’s only daughter, Zahwa, is now 17 years old and can play a role in the decision regarding exhuming her father’s body for an autopsy.

“The PNA has thrown the ball in Arafat’s family’s court and waits for an official answer,” he said. A big section of Fatah, which Arafat created and was head over for much of his adult life, does not accept exhuming his body for an autopsy.

“The truth is clear. The Israelis have assassinated Arafat and should pay a heavy price for that,” said Muhaisen. “The nuclear reactor is in Israel and run by Israeli scientists, not in Palestine,” he stressed. “This [exhumation] shows disrespect to our former and international leader,” Nael Selmi, a Fatah cadre said, vowing that Fatah cadre will protest a possible decision to exhume Arafat’s body for an autopsy.

“Most of our martyrs have been assassinated by Israel and the Palestinians have never exhumed their bodies despite calls from international organizations to prove Israel’s brutal actions in assassinating them,” he said.

“We are sure about the circumstances of Arafat’s assassination and there is no need to humiliate his legacy, history and martyrdom,” he said. Muhaisen said that even if Arafat’s grave was opened, his remains should not be exhumed, and medical tests should be conducted in the grave itself and samples taken by experts on the scene.

“This can be done to show the entire world that Arafat was assassinated beyond doubt and to force Israel to pay for its horrible murder,” he said.

Israel on the other hand has strongly denied the report which Israeli officials have branded as baseless. “The circumstances of Arafat’s death are not a mystery,” said Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yigal Palmor.

“Arafat was treated in France, in a French hospital by French doctors and they have all the medical information,” he said.