 It was hard to tell who was who in the melee as the body of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was brought home for burial. But one striking absence in Ramallah was the distinctive blonde head of his wife, Suha.
| [rummaging through closets] "WHERE ARE THOSE %$$!$%* &*$^?@~$ ACCOUNT NUMBERS!??! |
Despised by many Palestinians for steering clear of the West Bank or Gaza Strip during a 4-year-old uprising, Suha stirred even greater anger for isolating their beloved leader during his dying days in a French hospital. "I'm sure she was fearing the reaction of the Palestinian people," said 25-year-old Rania Zabaneh after Arafat was buried in scenes of chaotic fervour at his old West Bank headquarters. "Anything could have happened to her," she said.
| Dang, and no popcorn, either. |
Palestinians damn Suha, 41, as a self-styled 'queen' who damaged the dignity of the man who symbolised their national cause and muddied his succession by keeping those needing to know in the dark about his condition. "She betrayed the Palestinian people. I only respect her because of the president," said Mohammed Mahmoud Qasi, 18, near the graveside.
Many Palestinians were surprised when word trickled out of Arafat's marriage to Suha, a Christian from the well-known Tawil family in Ramallah. Officials said at the time she had converted to Islam. With her uncovered hair and pricey French Western designer clothes, Suha raised eyebrows during her public outings in Palestinian territories. Palestinian officials were offended when Suha alighted in Ramallah briefly on October 29 to take over Arafat's evacuation. They were even angrier when she limited access to Arafat in Paris and practically accused them of plotting to kill him. "If she comes to Ramallah, she will see how much the people hate her, but if she doesn't come people will criticise her even more," said one official. From a black car, Suha watched a funeral procession for Arafat in Cairo that was attended by kings, presidents and dignitaries from over 50 countries. She wept at the Egyptian airbase where Arafat's body was loaded on a plane for the journey home. Then they parted ways. ÂÂ
| "AGGGGGHHHH!! WHERE ARE THE DAMNED KRUGGERANDS!??! |
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