Ramallah - 8 May 2011 - The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) in cooperation with Al Quds Open University this morning opened "The Knights of the Image" exhibition at the headquarters of the Open University in Ramallah. The collection includes photographs of Palestinian journalists in the line of duty and under attack by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
MADA chairman Dr. Ghazi Hanania expressed his hope that the exhibition will draw attention to the continued suffering of journalists under the IOF. Dr. Hanania reiterated that occupation forces are the main violators of media freedoms in the Palestinian territory, with MADA monitoring dozens of violations against journalists every year - some almost fatal.
Dr. Hanania thanked the UNESCO Office in Ramallah for its support of MADA’s activities, including the exhibition and numerous other World Press Freedom Day commemoration events. Dr. Hanania concluded his statement by thanking Al Quds Open University for its cooperation.
The opening continued with Ramallah’s Director of Education, Dr. Raslan Muhammad, welcoming guests and honouring the Open University for contributing to civil society efforts in raising student awareness of human rights issues in their communities.
Dr. Muhammad affirmed the university’s belief in freedom of the Palestinian media and emphasised its important role in exposing Israeli abuses against the Palestinian people. Dr. Muhammad continued his presentation, emphasising the need for various Palestinian institutions to act as a united front in providing honest information and campaign strategies in confronting the occupation narrative, which is based on false and fabricated facts. He concluded by thanking MADA for its confidence in Al Quds Open University by establishing the exhibition in all of its branches.
The exhibition will be open to visitors until 3:00 pm on Thursday 12 May 2011, and will then transfer through the University branches in the West Bank and Jerusalem. MADA and QOU will open the same exhibition in Gaza City tomorrow morning, which will travel to the various OU campuses in the Gaza Strip.
The opening of this exhibition aligns with the activities of World Press Freedom Day, and is part of MADA’s program to strengthen freedom of opinion and expression in the Palestinian territories. The project and its’ numerous activities are funded by the UNESCO Office in Ramallah.
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Contact:
Riham Abu Aita
Public Relation Officer
Ramallah
riham@madacenter.org
www.madacenter.org
00970 2 2976519
