Dubai - Jihad hails from the village of Nabi Saleh, a short distance away from Ramallah, in West Bank.
Published: Fri 29 Mar 2019, 10:10 PM
For the million Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, social media is one platform where they have found a voice.
One among the thousands of Palestinians who are now using social media to voice the enormous injustice they suffer is 12-year-old Janna Jihad, an activist labelled as the youngest journalist in the world. She has actively used Facebook to expose the plight of children under Israeli occupation.
Jihad hails from the village of Nabi Saleh, a short distance away from Ramallah, in West Bank. Speaking on the second day of the Arab Media Forum, she said: "Journalism is my only weapon to show the world what the children are going through in Palestine."
Speaking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the forum, Jihad said there are many things she fears, especially losing someone she loves. "There are a lot of other things that scare me. Climate change is one. Of course, we have to work on our fears as it is not going to bring about change and we have to bring change into this world."
As she grows older, Janna would like to seriously pursue journalism and several other career paths that help make the world a sustainable, happier place. She said: "I want to work and help empower other children who are suffering (in the hands of oppressive governments)."
Jihad would also like to study fashion designing and spread traditional Palestinian clothing across the world. "I would also like to study art and use it as a tool to spread my message. Finally, I would also love to play soccer."
She believes that the young generation has to unite as they are the future leaders and the new generation that can make a change.
"When I was seven, I felt that the world should know what was happening on the ground and what the children were experiencing at such a young age. The Palestinian cause was not receiving enough media attention, so I took my mother's phone and began filming everything. My mother later uploaded it on social media."
"As children, we just want to live in peace like other children in the world," she added.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
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