Pax Christ International remembers Shireen

Shireen photographed by her brother Tony

Pax Christ International has marked the second anniversary of the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh.

Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian Christian, was born into a Melkite Catholic family in Jerusalem. As a Palestinian-American journalist, she worked for the Al Jazeera news network and was known throughout the Arab World for her 25 years of reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Early on May 11th, 2022, Shireen (51) was targeted and killed, by an Israeli military sniper, while she and her team were reporting on an attack on Jenin Refugee Camp.

Many of us in Pax Christi followed her reports because, for over 20 years, we have known her family in Bethlehem, staff of the Arab Educational Institute, a Pax Christi International Partner.

Her death was shocking but almost more so were the appallingly violent scenes at her funeral, when Israeli forces attacked the coffin bearers, family and other members as they emerged from the hospital in Jerusalem where she had been at rest. Church Leaders in Jerusalem and the World Council of Churches strongly condemned her killing and the violence at her funeral.

In February 2023, our Pax Christi International Delegation met with Shireen's brother, Tony, and more of her family. They shared with us the heartbreaking story of their year of international efforts to gain justice for Shireen and for her killer to be held to account. The pain on their faces and in their voices told of the intransigence of the politicians, who, despite the evidence that has been openly reported, are unwilling to support their appeals for justice and accountability.

A year on and still there is no justice for Shireen and more Palestinian Journalists have been deliberately targeted and killed as they report on the Israeli genocide and ethnic cleaning in Gaza and the West Bank. Shireen is one of more than 100 journalists killed by Israel since 2000.

A few months before her death, Shireen said: "I chose journalism to be close to the people. It might not be easy to change the reality, but at least I could bring their voice to the world."

On this second anniversary of Shireen's death please continue her work of bringing to others the voices of the silenced, the oppressed and occupied.

• Pray for her family; for accountability and justice for the families of all Palestinian journalists killed;
• Write to your elected representatives and ask for accountability and justice for Shireen and her family.

Ann Farr is Chair of Pax Christi England and Wales.

Pax Christi International: www.paxchristi.net

Committee to Protect Journalists: www.cpj.org