On March 24th 2004, fifteen year old Hussam Abdu was apprehended at an Israeli border checkpoint with live explosives strapped around his waist. Instead of detonating the bomb, Hussam voluntarily gave himself up to the Israeli army and is now serving time in the Ha-Sharon prison for attempted murder.

In the weeks that followed Hussam's arrest, news media from around the globe received conflicting reports. The Palestinian Authority claimed that Hussam had been set up by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), while the IDF maintained that Hussam was the latest example of children recruited for suicide missions by terrorist organizations.

Winner: Audience Choice Award for Best Film, 2006 United Nations Documentary Film Festival. Offical Selections: 2006 Anchorage International Film Festival, 2006 Whistler Film Festival, 2006 United Nations Film Exposition (London, England).

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Jennifer Joseph, 20/20, ABC
"This film is terrific!"

Nelson Cruz, On The Scene & At The Spot
"A masterpiece of an informative film"

Alan Dershowitz, Author, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard University
"An amazingly revealing look into the mindset of the child suicide murderer and into the despicable actions of those who abuse children by exploiting their naivite. Every human rights activist and concerned citizen must see this film."

Hamid Dabashi, Professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia University
"Suicidal violence must be absolutely condemned. Nothing excuses it. I commend you for your choice, through your camera through your work we have come to see something about the Palestinian situation that we didn't know."


Find out more about the film and issues discussed.

    Hussam Abdu, 15 years old, would-be suicide bomber
    "I knew that if I died as a Martyr, I'd go to paradise. The Martyr is a hero, once he becomes a martyr his family is regarded with respect and his neighbors also respect him?I was concerned about my life, my mother and father, and the house. Why should I die if there is peace tomorrow?"

    Brooke Goldstein, Director/Producer, Making of a Martyr
    "Making this film we realized our worst nightmares were true. Palestinian children are being taught and incited on a massive scale to take their own lives as human bombs. It wasn't just the terrorist organizations who were recruiting, but the whole of the Palestinian society, including their state sponsored media and schools, is active in this new form of infanticide... " More

    Hajii Idris, mother of the first female Palestinian suicide bomber
    "She did nothing bad, by God! My mind tells me that she did nothing wrong. It is something that raises the head..."

    Alistair Leyland, Director/Producer, Making of a Martyr
    "In the days that followed I grew confused, as each report was conflicted. Was he 14 or 16? Was he mentally challenged or simply brain-washed? Was this an example of how desperate the Palestinian society had reached, or was this an Israeli-orchestrated event?" More

    Brooke Goldstein, Director/Producer, Making of a Martyr
    "Filming Martyr, we also sat with Zachariah Zubeidi, Israel's most wanted man in the West Bank and the leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades in Jenin. At that time, Al-Aqsa had been directly linked to the recruitment of sixteen child suicide bombers. We spoke with Zachariah in the company of four of his heavily armed friends and a preschool child who sat beside him, fingering his loaded weapon during the interview, switching the safety latch on and off. Zachariah claimed that children came to him so eager to become suicide bombers, that if he 'didn't give them a bomb they would use a knife instead.'" More from The Making of a Martyr Blog Amar Awad Al-Tawawi, student, Islamic Jihad Summer Academy

    "Those who go throw stones say 'let's go and die. Death takes place just once in everyone's lifetime.'"
    Making of a Martyr 2004 is property of A2B Films.
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