Various Arab conclaves through out the Islamic world celebrated this day seven years ago. In Gaza, Palestinians chanted, "God is Great" while handing out candy. In Nablus, guns were firing and Palestinian flags waving as hundreds poured into streets. In Sidon, fatigue clad guerillas of various factions fired rocket-propelled grenades into the air. In Beirut, Palestinians reveled in live footage of the televised conflagration, one jubilant participant even referring to the occasion as a “feast.” And in Arab East Jerusalem, young Arabs memorialized the occasion by honking wedding tunes on car horns. However, this “joyous” occasion was not for all to share. Various news agencies of the world were threatened not to cover the “celebration.”
"The FPA [Foreign Press Association] expresses deep concern over the harassment of journalists by the Palestinian Authority as police forces and armed gunmen tried to prevent photo and video coverage of Tuesday's rally in Nablus where hundreds of Palestinians celebrated the terror attacks in NY and Washington…. We strongly condemn the direct threats made against local videographers by local militia members and the attitude of Palestinian officials who made no effort to counter the threats, control the situation, or to guarantee the safety of the journalists and the freedom of the press.”
“Palestinian sources said PA officials stopped several television crews from broadcasting Palestinian celebrations of the suicide jet crashes in New York and Washington. They said PA Information Minister Yasser Abbed Rabbo and his aides telephoned foreign broadcast crews and said the PA would not be able to guarantee their safety if the footage is broadcast…. virtually all television crews failed to broadcast the tape of the celebrations” (Special to World Tribune.com, Thursday, September 13, 2001).
“Israel is demanding The Associated Press release a videotape of Palestinian celebrations held in the wake of Tuesday's terror attacks in the United States…. Israel claims the Palestinian photographer who shot the film and passed it on to The Associated Press received death threats…. The Associated Press yesterday refused to comment on reports that it had refrained from broadcasting the film following pressure from the Palestinian Authority” (Israel to AP: Release film of Palestinian celebrations, September 13, 2001).
“About 1,500 Palestinians… marched in a Gaza Strip refugee camp on Friday, burning Israeli flags and carrying a large poster of Osama bin Laden, who has been named as a key suspect in this week's terror attacks in the United States. After the rally, plainclothes Palestinian policemen questioned several journalists, including staffers of foreign news agencies, and confiscated videotape and film as well as camera equipment. An Associated Press Television News video was among the materials taken, and an AP photographer was warned by officials not to publish pictures of the bin-Laden poster” (The Associated Press Friday, Sept. 14, 2001).
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