Women's journalism award rescinded over winner's pro-terrorism comments

Palestinian journalist Maha Hussaini had her Courage in Journalism Award rescinded by the International Women's Media Foundation.

 Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes, of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 19, 2023 (photo credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90)
Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes, of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 19, 2023
(photo credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90)

The International Women's Media Foundation's 2024 Courage in Journalism Award for Palestinian journalist Maha Hussaini was rescinded on Thursday after social media posts condoning armed action against Israel were unearthed. 

"Within the last 24 hours, the IWMF learned of comments made by Maha Hussaini in past years that contradict the values of our organization," the foundation said on Thursday. "As a result, we have rescinded the Courage in Journalism Award that was previously given to her. Both the Courage Awards and the IWMF’s mission are based on integrity and opposition to intolerance. We do not, and will not, condone or support views or statements that do not adhere to those principles."

In an updated statement on Friday, the IWMF noted that it still recognized the importance and courage or the Gaza-based journalist and human rights activist's work.

The rescinding of the award came after a Washington Free Beacon expose last Tuesday that revealed several social media comments by Hussaini. 

In response to a shooting against a military post in 2017, Hussaini wrote on X that "The resistance in the West Bank is entering a new phase. Thanks to the Al-Aqsa clash and glory to the martyrs." July 14 saw tensions and a crisis develop surrounding the Temple Mount when Palestinian gunmen killed to Israeli police officers.

A MAN HOLDS a Hamas flag as he stands next to others atop a building near al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday. (credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)
A MAN HOLDS a Hamas flag as he stands next to others atop a building near al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday. (credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)

The Beacon claimed that in response to the May 15 bombing of a Hamas intelligence asset in the al-Jalaa tower, Hussaini said that they would build ten towers in its place "so that our resistance can bomb the occupation again, destroy them, and rebuild them again."

In a now-deleted X post, the outlet also claimed that Hussaini had condemned a 2015 Egyptian decision to designate Hamas's Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades as a terrorist organization. In 2018, she had also condemned a failed US resolution chastising Hamas, arguing that "Whether we like it or not, Hamas constitutes a large part of the Palestinian society. Condemning it doesn’t only mean opposing a political party but criminalizing people’s choice to resist oppression."

In 2017, Hussaini had also shared a cartoon from the 2006 Iranian Holocaust Cartoon Competition. In the cartoon, the world is distracted by images of the Holocaust. Behind the pictures, an Israeli soldier is hacking Arabs with an axe. 


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Hussaini says she has no regrets 

Hussaini said on Thursday that she had no regrets about her comments or social media posts, blaming a smear campaign against Palestinian journalists by "supporters of the Israeli occupation and the Zionist lobby."

"I’m very glad that both my winning the award and its withdrawal have starkly demonstrated the systematic physical and moral attacks Palestinian journalists endure throughout their careers," Hussaini said on X. "If winning a prize entails enduring and witnessing war crimes while remaining silent, I am not honored to receive any prizes. I will always be objective in my reporting, but I can never be neutral; I will always point out the perpetrators and stand in solidarity with the victims. This is what journalism is truly about."

The Marie Colvin Journalists’ Network condemned the Beacon for what is said were false accusations of supporting terrorism, and slammed the IWMF for allegedly rescinding the award without prior communication with Hussaini. 

"Maha is an experienced, respected journalist working under very difficult conditions in Gaza," said the network. " We are extremely disappointed that IWMF took this decision, and we remain concerned for Maha’s safety."