Palestinian women outraged over Turkish TV series
Television series which sparked diplomatic crisis between Ankara, Jerusalem sparks uproar among female Palestinian prisoners who claim scene in which inmate being raped offends Palestinian women's honor
"Valley of the Wolves" maintains a decidedly anti-Israeli tone depicting Mossad agents in Turkey as baby-snatchers, among other things. Following its broadcast, the Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador to Israel for a reprimand in which he was publicly humiliated by being seated at a lower chair than Deputy Minister Daniel Ayalon.
Another Turkish TV show dubbed "Separation" portrayed IDF soldiers as child murderers and is now being broadcast on Arab channels.
According to a report in the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi, "Valley of the Wolves" focuses on the "suffering of a Palestinian family whose sons are killed by the Israeli army." The report states that Palestinian female inmates are outraged over a scene in which a supposed Palestinian prisoner named Miriam is being raped by IDF soldiers in an Israeli prison.
In a statement issued Monday, the prisoners said that the scene has no bearing with reality. "This is an attempt to slander the Palestinian female prisoner's image and mask its heroic role." The prisoners feel that the scene is offensive to Palestinian women portraying them as submissive.
"The broadcast of these images is a humiliation for the people and the whole nation and serves the occupation alone," the statement read.
Family honor killings
The al-Quds al-Arabi report noted that the prisoner in the scene is later seen released from prison and murdered by family members "as traditionally done by the conservative Palestinian society."
The murder scene also incurred the wrath of the women. "It's a slandering of the Palestinian family which kills its daughter to clear the family's honor," their statement noted.
The prisoners noted that they were proudly welcomed by their families upon their release from prison.
A former Palestinian inmate from the Gaza Strip Manal al-Nawajha told the newspaper she had never heard of any rape incidents of Palestinian inamtes throughout her prison term. She said that the rape scene in the series "compromised the Palestinian struggle and society at large."
The female prisoners called on the show's producers to stop airing the series and apologize before the Palestinian people for the slanders.
