Mourners' test in Silwan
Photo: Mohammed Shinawi
Jerusalem terrorist's family mourns in Silwan
Family of a-Shaludi opens mourners' tent in east Jerusalem neighborhood; cousin, mother deny allegations of terror.
The family of Abed a-Rahman a-Shaludi, who carried out the deadly attack in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening, opened a mourner's test in Silwan on Thursday. Hundreds of people arrived to share in the family's grief – some called a-Shaludi a "hero".
The cousin claimed the suspected terrorist had been hospitalized the day before the attack. "I do not believe he had the energy to do these things. Now he is dead, he was not given a chance to live, we saw how he was chased and killed. They undressed him and did not find anything."
Shaludi was shot and hit while trying to flee the scene of the attack, but later succumbed to his wounds in the hospital.
Abed al-Halim a-Shaludi, his cousin, denied the allegations of terror. "What happened is not normal, yesterday we heard of the incident from the media, and in Israel they claim it was terrorism. He was a normative person and did not behave abnormally."
Poster celebrating "hero" Shaludi (Photo: Mohammed Shinawi)
Abed a-Shaludi said the family might consider legal recourse. "We will receive his body, we will bury it, and the secret will be buried with him. The family intends to meet with a lawyer to find the truth, and – in the end – we will find it."
Abed al-Halim a-Shaludi, cousin of suspect (Photo: Mohammed Shinawi)
The suspected attacker's mother added: "For six months he had slept at home. Yesterday he woke up, turned on the car, and went for a short trip."
Ottoman, a Silwan resident, told Ynet that the security situation in Jerusalem continued to deteriorate. "The security forces break into the village, destroy homes, and scare children. Today we are afraid to let our children out of the home and the kindergartens – the situation is very bad."
Shaludi family mourners' tent (Photo: Mohammed Shinawi)
He said he "did not know who to blame; we cannot complain, except to God. We are always pushed too far; it is a way to force us out of our homes."
Ottoman claimed that if the status quo continued, "maybe there will be a third and fourth intifada, because the situation is severe. A lot is happening to us and we feel a lot of stress – if there isn't an intifada, I don't know what will happen."
He added: "If there is an intifada, there will be martyrs and casualties, then the situation will subside and the trouble will return again, we the people will continue to suffer. But we will stay here no matter the cost."
