Hero of Journalism: Al-Jazeera’s Wael Dahdouh emerges Muslim News’ Global Media Person of the Year 2023

– Journalist hailed for his resilience in reporting the catastrophic situation in Gaza in spite of immense personal loss

Muslim News Nigeria, the most authoritative Islamic Newspaper in Nigeria has announced the Bureau Chief of Al-Jazeera (Arabic) in Gaza City, Wael Hamdan Ibrahim Al-Dahdouh as the Newspaper’s “Global Muslim Media Personality of the Year 2023” for his resilience, tenacity, and steadfastness in reporting the genocide in Gaza, despite his immense personal loss.

The Nigeria-based media organisation made the announcement in a statement signed by its publisher, Rasheed Abubakar on Friday, May 3, in commemoration of the 2024 World Press Freedom Day, with the theme, “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the environmental crisis.”

Abubakar, a renowned Nigerian journalist, and the author of “Islam and the Media, Series 1 to 4”, also used the occasion to honour the over 100 fearless slain journalists and media workers, most of them Palestinian citizens, killed in Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

"Even in the face of adversity, the true heroes of journalism have distinguished themselves and deserve to be celebrated as we mark this year's #WorldPressFreedomDay"

Hero of Journalism: Al-Jazeera's Wael Dahdouh emerges Muslim News' Global Media Person of the Year 2023 #Gaza pic.twitter.com/mROtSdlSJB

— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) May 3, 2024

The Publisher said the Al-Jazeera Bureau Chief has lost many of his family members, including his wife, son, daughter and grandson, but remained firm and committed in the vocation of journalism, reporting the impacts of Israeli attacks on Gaza, Palestine as it unfolds.

“On this day, we also celebrate and remember devoted, dedicated journalists who have lost their lives while discharging their duties. Most of them were deliberately targeted by Israel during air and ground strikes.

“As at the time of filling this report on Thursday, May 2, over 100 journalists have been murdered for reporting the truth and exposing Israeli atrocities. They were targeted in order to create fear in the mind of others from reporting the truth.

“Some of them include Samer Abudaqa (Al-Jazeera Arabic’s cameraperson), Hamza Al-Dahdouh (Al-Jazeera journalist), Mustafa Thuraya (Agence France-Presse (AFP), Mohamed Khalifeh (Al-Aqsa TV), Farah Omar (Al-Mayadeen TV channel), Nermin Qawwas (Russia Today) and Hanan Ayyad (a female journalist) who was killed alongside her husband, by an Israeli shell, and Salem Abu Toyor, a reporter for Al-Quds, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, April 30.

On #WorldPressFreedomDay, we at @muslimnews_NG honour the over 100 fearless slain journalists and media workers, most of them Palestinian citizens, killed in #Israeli attacks on the #Gaza Strip, #Palestine. We demand justice for them. #WPFD2024 #Palestine #Israel pic.twitter.com/fCsFv0BOhm

— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) May 3, 2024

“The total figure by the Palestinian Health Ministry as at the time of writing this press release on Thursday, May 2 is 142, even though Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) put the figures as 97. Irrespective of the disparities, we strongly condemn the assassination of those journalists. We also condemn what we call gang up by the international community including US against these journalists and the media they represent.

“Journalists everywhere have rights to life and freedom of expression. Why are the journalists in Palestine an exception? These journalists are parents; most of them married. They have spouses and children. They have families. Killing them has turned their children into orphans. Today, we remember them and demand justice for them. This is the more reason the war needs to be stopped if the international community would match its word with action.

Abubakar extended sympathies to families of journalists who lost their lives, while celebrating those who are injured and those alive still doing their jobs despite deliberate attacks on them.

He said, “we also remember some of those injured such as Thaer Al-Sudani (Reuters) and Mustafa Alkharouf (Anadolu Agency) among others. We specifically want to honour Wael Dahdouh, Al Jazeera’s Gaza Bureau Chief, who has lost many of his family members including his wife, seven-year-old daughter, and 15-year-old son in addition to eight of his other relatives in the ongoing war.

Journalists everywhere have rights to life and freedom of expression. Why are the journalists in #Palestine an exception? These journalists are parents; most of them married. They have children. Killing them has turned their children into orphans. We remember them on #WPFD24 pic.twitter.com/wsk91GFaPK

— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) May 3, 2024

“On 15 December 2023, while Al-Dahdouh and his cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa were covering the Haifa School airstrike in Khan Younis, they were hit by an Israeli missile, injuring Dahdouh and fatally wounding Abu Daqqa who later succumbed to his injury.

“Despite the death of many family members and his injury, Wael Dahdouh quickly returned to reporting on the war after both incidents. His son, journalist Hamza Al-Dahdouh, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis on 7 January 2024 and two of his nephews were killed in an airstrike the following day. May Almighty Allah forgive their shortcomings and accept them and others as martyrs.

“That’s why we honour Wael Dahdouh, who was also injured in a drone strike, as Muslim News’ Global Muslim Media Personality of the Year 2023, an annual award of Muslim News Nigeria to celebrate and reward Muslim achievers in different professions and all endeavors (the winners of other categories will be announced later)” according to the Publisher.