(Zaman al-Wasl) Journalists Without Borders announced Monday evening that it awarded its Press Freedom prize for 2016 to the colleague, journalist and activist Hadi Abdullah, “who did not hesitate to go to dangerous areas where no western journalist would go to film and investigate with colleagues in the civil society, and he faced death repeatedly.” The prize will be awarded in Strasburg in France on Tuesday as a side event to the International Initiative for Democracy organized by the European Council.
Abdullah, who is still recovering from his most recent injuries following a targeted explosion in Aleppo several months ago which killed his colleague Khalid Issa, will not be able to receive the award in person as the travel arrangements did not go through. He will record a speech on Monday as he explained in a special conversation with Zaman al-Wasl to be shown in the award ceremony.
He added that Journalists Without Borders informed him two months ago that he was nominated for the award for Press Freedom and asked him to send them professional information regarding his work and education. He added that he did not give the issue much thought, and recently the organizers contacted him again to inform him that he was awarded the prize.
Abdullah who participated in covering the battles against the regime in Aleppo, highlighted that the processes and arrangements were not finished in time preventing him from going to receive the award. He said that from the first day that he began working as a media activist he did not place his eye on winning a prize, any prize, and he never expected to win any awards.
Abdullah expressed his wish that he would be allowed to go to France to receive the award in person as part of his desire to talk about the Syrian cause and the Syrian people’s suffering, perhaps the world will respond to lift the oppression from them.
Abdullah explained that when he was informed that he was awarded the prize, the first person he thought of was martyr Khalid Issa, may God have mercy on his soul, who has always been on his mind and whose death “broke his back” as Abdullah said. He explained, “Until now, and despite the passing of months since the bombing, I have not absorbed Khalid’s death.
I always sleep in his bed and I put his picture next to me and I see him in my dream, and so it is normal that Khalid is the first person to come to mind and I dedicate the award to his pure spirit and to a number of friends who were martyred for freedom and dignity such as Tarwad al-Zahouri, Wissam, Shamel and others of the martyrs of word and truth.”
Hadi revealed that his health has improved to a large degree as he can now walk although his walk is not normal, “The doctors informed me that my walk will improve with time, and I cannot run at the present time if there is an air strike or bombing, but I manage.”
Abdullah confirmed that he finished his physiotherapy treatment but he has yet to undergo a bone restoration operation in his left foot. The doctors mentioned that they can postpone the operation, a bone transplant, as Abdullah was insisting the doctors speed up his treatment as he wishes to return to Syria because as he said “I am chocking outside it.”
A Revolution of the People and not a Civil War
Abdullah directed a message to the world stating, “The Syrian revolution will continue, and what is happening in our country is a revolution of the people and not a civil or religious war, as some western and Arab media portray it sadly.” He added, “The Syrian people are free and will continue in their revolution,” because Syria according to his description, “is fertile wombs and a newborn people, and the world must understand that any force no matter how great cannot face the strength of a people.”
Abdullah continued, “Our people have faced over the past six years all criminal apparatuses from the regime and its thugs to Hezbollah, the Iraqi sectarian militias, the Iranians and their herds of Afghan militias, the Islamic State, and Russian occupation, and all these forces have not been able to break its will, its resistance, and desire for life.”
Abdullah concluded his talk with Zaman al-Wasl saying, “The biggest loyalty to the martyrs who preceded us whether they worked in the military or media or humanitarian sector is that we continue their path and make victorious their revolution.”
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