Samah Salaime, of +972 and its Hebrew sister site Local Call, is honored for her activism advancing women’s rights in Israel by Radio a-Shams.
+972 Magazine and Local Call blogger Samah Salaime received an award last week from Radio A-Shams in Nazareth for her work promoting the status of Arab women and gender equality in Israeli society, as well as for the struggle against violence. Salaime received the award at a ceremony marking 12 years since the establishment of Radio A-Shams, the most prominent radio station among the Arab sector in Israel.
Salaime’s writing for both +972 and its Hebrew sister site, Local Call, were given as one of the reason of being awarded the prize.
Salaime is the founder and head of Na’am, an NGO that supports Arab women in Ramle, Lod and Jaffa, and by fighting against gender violence. She also works in Neve Shalom/Wahat Al-Salam — a joint Arab-Jewish village near Jerusalem. Also mentioned in the speech was her involvement in a long list of educational and social initiatives dealing with majority-minority relations in Israel society.
Other recipients of the award, bestowed annually upon Israelis who work on different issues relating to co-existence and equal rights between Jews and Arabs, include former President of the Supreme Court Aharon Barak, Avraham Burg, author Salman Natour and Sheikh Kamal Riyan.
“At a time when extremism is rearing its ugly head, we at Radio A-Shams have decided to give these awards to the same people who brighten our lives with the light of hope, and succeed against the odds to work and entrench Israeli democracy, and are committed to cooperation between the two nations,” said Radio A-Shams head Suheil Karam.
The +972 team wishes Samah Salaime congratulations! Mabrook!