Kerala News

Kerala Media Academy Honours Al Jazeera Journalist; Netizens Remind How Kerala CM Edited His Post Mourning Death Of Nurse After Hamas Attack

February 4, 2024
The Commune

The Kerala Media Academy, a state-run higher education institution, has named Al-Dahdouh, the Gaza Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera, as the ‘Mediaperson of the Year.’ 

The selection of Al-Dahdouh was based on recommendations from the Investigative Journalists Association and the Editorial Board of Media Magazine’, according to a press release from KMA.

Al-Dahdouh, who lost his wife, two children, and a grandchild in an Israeli bombing of Gaza, was also injured and is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital in Qatar. Additionally, he also lost his cameraman to an Israeli missile attack.

The award, including a cash prize of ₹1 lakh, a citation, and a sculpture, will be presented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as announced by the KMA. Expressing his gratitude, Al-Dahdouh considered the award an invaluable honour.

Contrasting the recent recognition, two years ago, a Malayali nurse named Soumya, working in Israel, lost her life to a missile fired by the Palestinian terror organization Hamas. The response from the Kerala Chief Minister at that time has drawn attention.

Initially expressing sorrow for Soumya’s death, the Chief Minister later edited his Facebook post, removing the sad portion and replaced it with a new message. This move resulted in criticism for not strongly condemning the incident promptly or announcing relief funds for the deceased Soumya’s relatives.

Critics argue that the award bestowed upon Al Jazeera’s Gaza Bureau Chief, Wail Dahdood, raises discussions on the response of the Kerala government during the earlier tragedy and highlights concerns about the influence of minority votes and appeasement politics in the state.

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