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#FreeAhed

December 22, 2017 at 4:08 pm | Published in: Israel, Middle East, News, Palestine, Twitter Trends
Photo dated in November 2012 shows Palestinian girl Ahed al-Tamimi (C) challenging Israeli soldiers during a protest in Ramallah, West Bank [QAIS ABUSAMRA/Anadolu Agency]
Leanne Mohamad
@leannemohamad
 December 22, 2017 at 4:08 pm

There has been a rising social media storm over the past few days as human rights activists expressed their outrage following the arrest and imprisonment of 16-year-old Palestinian Ahed Tamimi.

The hashtags #FreeAhedTamimi and #FreeAhed were launched in both Arabic and English soon after she was kidnapped from her home at 4am on Tuesday morning.

Israeli writer Miko Peled highlighted what had occurred to Ahed, the daughter of his friend Bassem Tamimi who he was with during the summer in Palestine, and he called on his 21,700 followers to retweet and share using the hashtag #FreeAhed.

Leader of the British Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn also sent a message of support to Ahed after the six-year-old daughter of journalist Clayton Swisher asked him about Tamimi’s case. He condemned Ahed’s arrest calling on the authorities to free all child prisoners. “Let them be free. Let them be children,” he said.

#NoWayToTreatAChild was also widely used as supporters stressed that the arrest of a child activist is inhumane and goes against children’s basic human rights.

Many saluted Ahed’s courage and strong resilience after a photo of her was shared in court at the Ofer military base in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.

Journalist Jamal Dajani also shared a photo of Ahed Tamimi conveying her strength and courage and used Ahed’s bravery to illustrate the bravery of all Palestinian women. “A picture is worth a thousand words…a Palestinian woman is worth a thousand Zionist Settlers.”

Others likened her to Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai.

Many also shared the video of Ahed and two other women standing up to two armed Israeli soldiers, forcing them off her property.

She continues to be the symbol of struggle, steadfastness and dignity of the Palestinians.

Whilst many continue to show support for Ahed and praise her for her resistance, some also highlighted how Israel has been attempting to keep Ahed’s blonde-haired, blue-eyed photo out of the news out of fear that her “European looks” will bring more attention to their continued war crimes.

Ahed is challenging the international community’s preconceived judgement of a Palestinian’s appearance.

Political cartoonist Carlos Latuff also created and shared a number of pieces showing Ahed, her strength shone through each one.

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