A brilliant comedian and friend, Benji Lovitt of What War Zone – has shared with some the amazing questions Shahira Amin would likely ask.
In case you don’t know, Shahira Amin is the idiot Egyptian journalist who brutally interviewed Gilad moments after he had been seen for the first time in 5 years and while still under the control of Hamas. Though it was hidden from the audience, the photographer taking the video was a masked Hamas thug wearing a Hamas headband and army uniform. His presence was, I presume, a way of further pressuring Gilad to submit during these last few moments. Amin started the interview asking a weak Gilad how he felt.
Gilad immediately said he did not feel well and often during the interview his breathing was labored, his eyes unfocused. All of Israel watched in fury as this woman continued her idiotic questions. Just thinking about it makes me so angry.
I sincerely hope Benji doesn’t mind me sharing this…all credit goes to Benji unless otherwise noted – and all blame goes to me because, heck, with Gilad home, I’m happy enough to handle it. Part of Benji’s great ability is to get audiences to laugh – even at things that might seem painful. And so, as a measure of healing, I post Benji…and thank him for the smile I have…despite the anger I feel.
Shahira Amin’s hard-hitting questions…not just bordering on idiocy – but crossing the line of decency…Benji Lovitt on Shahira Amin:
In the Garden of Eden: “So, Adam….your lady friend just ate the forbidden fruit, pissed off your creator, and got you banished from the only place man has ever been. What plans do you have for your future?”
Added by Karen: “…what plans do you have for your future? AND don’t you think the snake should be pardoned?”
In Libya: “General Qaddafi, you just got shot in the head, ending your life. What regrets do you have about your reign?”
Added by Rafi: I think she would have asked him if he would now campaign for the thousands of others who have been shot in the head
During World War II: “Mr. Takahashi, you just had the first ever nuclear bomb dropped on your head. Will you help campaign against warfare?”
Interviewing Titanic survivors: “Five minutes ago, you were floating on a plank watching your relatives die in freezing water. What were you thinking about?”
Appearing in the movie “Misery”: “Paul, you had your feet chopped off by that psychotic fan. Why didn’t you write more books during that time?”
In Dallas in 1963: “President Kennedy, you just had your brains blown out. How did that feel?”
And I’ll add a few of my own, though I doubt they do justice to the fine job Benji started:
To Senator George McGovern in 1972: “Senator, how humiliating is it that you lost your own state of South Dakota?”
To Yoka Ono moments after the murder of John Lennon: “Are you upset that John Lennon was gunned down like a dog in the road? And given that experience, do you think John’s history with drug abuse had any connection to his death?”
To the survivors of Katrina in New Orleans: “Now that your city is underwater and you feel abandoned by your government, what do you have to say about the fact that people living in Malibu often lose power during major storms?”
To Lance Armstrong: “You’ve been recognized as a great biker so how does that make you feel to know that there are children in Sudan who don’t have bicycles?”
To Steve Jobs: “Do you feel that God punished you with cancer because you are so rich and the Palestinians are so poor? Are you now ready to speak out in favor of giving all Palestinian children a free iPhone?”
To the parents of Daniel Pearl: “Do you feel that if you’d renounced your Judaism and condemned the Israeli treatment of Palestinians, then these freedom fighters might not have slit your son’s throat?”
You know what – I don’t have Benji’s ability to make things funny, so I’ll stop. The more I write, the angier I become. I’ll leave comedy to Benji…he’s so amazingly good at it!
And finally, thanks to the Facebook poster who told us that Shahira Amin’s Facebook profile has been deleted. I guess our letters to her made her realize her name is mud, her brain is empty, her heart is a stone, and her future belongs in the swamp!
if I were to ever interview ms. amin live on national television immediately following her suffering oh, let’s say a rape my first question would be: “ms. amin, why didn’t you consider not getting raped? why did you let the act persist as long as it did?” of course my follow up question would be: “what did you learn from this experience?” and finally, “you now know what it’s like to endure trauma. now that you’re free, will you fight to release perpetrators languishing in prisons for committing similarly brutal acts?”
@itzuvi, should I feel guilty for chuckling at that?
Thanks, Paula! Glad I could make you laugh. : )
I just checked Amin’s Facebook page and it is still up. It does not appear to have been deleted. I have sent her an FB message expressing outrage at her actions, and I urge everyone to do so as well:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=520551813
This interview was horrible, and the fact that a covered hamas-guy was standing behind him is even more horrible.
Tell me: why did Shalit have to change dress and wear a uniform as soon as he was in israeli hands? Was this the show-effect on the israeli side? Couldn’t they collect some clothes from his mom for him to wear? I am sure she would have been happy to provide them…
Hi Carrie,
I agree – the interview was a total disgrace.
As for why Gilad was dressed in a uniform, I have to explain something about Israel. First – the entire time Gilad has been held – without once seeing his family, deprived of food, sunlight, even his glasses…he has been a soldier of Israel. He was never discharged, as most of the rest of his unit was. Each month, the army paid him his salary and actually promoted him as they would have had he chosen to stay in the army.
When he came home, he was still enlisted – but more, he was captured because he was a soldier and so he returned as a soldier. If he had said he didn’t want to, I have no doubt the army would not have forced him to wear the uniform and of course his mother could have given him clothes.
The first thing Gilad did when the helicopter door opened – was see the Prime Minister of Israel, who had come to greet him. Without prompting, Gilad saluted Bibi Netanyahu. Bibi saluted back, shook Gilad’s hand, and then pulled Gilad into a hug. This was done again and again throughout the day – including by the Chief of Central Command, the most senior soldier in Israel.
The pilot who flew Gilad home – was the son of the pilot who flew the mission in which Ron Arad did not return. This is what Israel is all about. Further proof that it was Gilad’s choice – was a day or two later- he was seen walking around his town…wearing a hat of his unit. The day before, he was bicycling. He has to always wear sunglasses because he hasn’t yet acclimated to actually being free and out in the sun – and again, the choice of hat was his unit’s – symbol and name. No one forced him to wear it; Israeli kids have many hats (my youngest son has about 10).
Unlike what Hamas did to him – there was no force. Only a love of Israel – and a message that Gilad recognizes how much that love is returned.
We have been waiting for him to come home for 5 years and 4 months. We honestly didn’t care what he wore. All we cared about was that he was home but everyone also knew that he was going to come home in uniform – a message from Israel and to Israel and Gilad’s smiles prove this relationship.
In an article about the interview, one of the talkbacks called the assine interviewer: הפרעונית
it was the best definition of her yet, IMHO.