August 18 marks 100 days since veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli forces while on assignment in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
The 51-year-old Palestinian-American TV correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic was wearing a protective vest marked with “PRESS” and standing with other journalists when she was shot dead by an Israeli sniper.
Al Jazeera has described Abu Akleh’s death as a “blatant murder” that violates “international laws and norms” and said that she was “assassinated in cold blood”. The network has assigned a legal team to refer her killing to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Abu Akleh’s death was the latest in a long line of journalists killed by the Israeli military, which has a long history of targeting reporters and other members of the media.
At least 45 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since 2000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Information.
The Palestinian Journalists’ Union places the death toll higher at 55 killed.
Several universities, institutes and organisations have named awards, scholarships and memorials after the slain journalist. Some of these include:
Shireen Abu Akleh Award for Media Excellence – Birzeit University
Shireen Abu Akleh Scholarship for Academic Excellence in Journalism and Media – Birzeit University
Shireen Abu Akleh Award – Souad Al-Sabah Publishing and Distribution House
Shireen Abu Akleh Endowed Memorial Scholarship – American University of Beirut
Shireen Abu Akleh Award in Media Excellence – Al-Shehab Center for Research and Studies
Shireen Abu Akleh Award for Best Documentary Film – The Jerusalem Arab Film Festival
Shireen Abu Akleh Masters Scholarship in Journalism and Media Studies – The Jordan Media Institute
Shireen Abu Akleh Award for the Best Investigative Report – AMAN or The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity
Shireen Abu Akleh Award – Bethlehem University
Shireen Abu Akleh Award for Journalistic Excellence – Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency
Shireen Abu Akleh Award – Hope International Film Festival
Shireen Abu Akleh Award for Media and Freedom of the Press – ALECSO or Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization
Shireen Abu Akleh Press Award – The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate
Shireen Abu Akleh training programme for Palestinian broadcasters and journalists – The United Nations
Shireen Abu Akleh Street – Ramallah Municipality
Murals and artwork have also been assembled to pay tribute to Abu Akleh including a painted mural by Palestinian artist Taqi Sabateen on the Israeli separation wall at the northern entrance to Bethlehem.
The artist said that the mural was an expression of Palestinian anger at the US position on the assassination of Abu Akleh. Sabateen replaced the word, press, on Shireen’s flak jacket, with the word, justice.
