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Mother of terrorist "Martyr": Son wanted the 70 Dark-Eyed Virgins

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik  |
Mother of terrorist "Martyr":
Son wanted to marry
the "70" Dark-Eyed Virgins of Paradise

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

The special Palestinian Authority TV program, The Best Mothers, that is being broadcast during Ramadan, interviewed the mother of a bomb maker from Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, named Yusuf Shaker Al-Asi. Al-Asi was killed in a shootout when the Israeli army tried to arrest him.

The mother explained that when she spoke to her son about marriage, he said he did not want to marry only one earthly wife, but that he preferred to marry the "70." This refers to the 72 Dark-Eyed Virgins, who, according to Islamic tradition, marry the Martyrs in Paradise.

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This is the second mother of a terrorist interviewed on the PA TV program The Best Mothers. Last week, Palestinian Media Watch reported on an interview with the mother of a female suicide bomber.

The following is from the interview with the mother of the bomb maker:

"People always told me, 'Marry him off, so he will bring you happiness.'
I said to him (my son), 'I want to marry you off.'
He said, 'Are you laughing at me? Just one wife?'
I asked him, 'What do you want? Four, according to [Islamic] tradition?'
He said: 'I won't rest until I have 70 [wives].'
'I want 70', he told me."
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 2, 2011]

It is noteworthy that the second mother of a terrorist "Martyr" interviewed on PA TV's program The Best Mothers also saw her daughter's death in the context of marriage in Paradise:

Mother of suicide bomber Darin: "I said, 'It's the night before your wedding, Darin, and we won't see you anymore, my daughter... I want to sing, Darin is a bride.'"
[PA TV (Fatah), Aug. 3, 2011]

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